Unbearable Curves (The Grizzly Next Door 1)

by Aya Morningstar

  "Ever been into a police station?" He asked Effie.

  "No," she said, looking around.

  "Don't worry about faking excitement," he said, "it's like any other boring office. With one perk."

  He lead her toward the box of donuts. It was barely 8:30, so there would probably be quite a few left. He crossed his fingers for a chocolate-covered glaze. He popped open the box, and like a shining black pearl, it greeted him. How long had it been since he'd grabbed his choice donut? At least two weeks. Maybe three. Jenner always popped in after his night shift and snagged it. Jenner must have changed his shift, or called in sick. Either way, the donut was his this morning.

  "What kind do you want?" Abel asked Effie.

  Effie's eyes scanned the box, and she said, "Is that a chocolate-covered glaze?"

  "Yeah," Abel said, "grab it before someone else gets it. It's a total free-for-all to get these things."

  Effie grabbed the donut and bit into it. He could almost taste it, but he realized it was better to see her enjoying it than to have it himself.

  After she finished chewing, she asked him, "What kind is your favorite?"

  "The, uh," he looked around, and randomly selected one. "The sprinkle one here. With the green and pink sprinkles."

  "You don't sound too enthusiastic..."

  "Really," he said, "I just love sprinkles. They're crunchy. And sweet."

  "You're so full of shit," Effie said, laughing. Hearing her laugh in the drab station made it feel like a completely different place. Effie transformed every room, filled it with her radiance. "Jesus, the chocolate-covered glaze is your favorite, isn't it?"

  He tried to conceal his reaction, but he knew he'd given it away.

  "I should have asked!" She said, aghast. "Here, we can share it."

  "No," Abel said, "it's yours, Effie."

  She broke half of it off and handed it to him, and he took a bite, deciding it was better if they both enjoyed it together.

  "Bjornson!" Pierce's voice barked. "What the hell is she doing in here?"

  "Effie," Abel said, "can you wait by the front desk? I need to update my boss. They may need to question you later, but don’t worry, I'll be there if they do."

  "Okay," she said.

  He wanted to kiss her goodbye, even though she'd only be fifty feet away. No, he didn't want her to be away from him at all. But he couldn't touch her, not in front of Pierce. He had to keep his emotions out of this to make his case to Pierce.

  He sat down in Pierce's office and explained everything that happened, leaving out the strong-arming, the werewolves, and the panthers. He also left out the kiss. With all the shifter parts of the stories torn out, the story wouldn't make any sense. He had to make up a lot of other details: the wolves had seen a woman being grabbed the night before, but they assumed it was just a couple fighting, and Abel had known the man in the bar was the abductor not because of his scent, but because the wolves had recognized him.

  Finally, he told Pierce that he needed to keep Effie under twenty-four hour protection, because Effie had seen the man looking at her in a way that made her feel profoundly uncomfortable and in danger. And because she fit the profile of all the other missing women.

  Abel had been thinking of this censored version to tell Pierce ever since last night, but it was still shaky and full of holes, and Pierce could tell.

  "Dammit, Bjornson, you're so full of shit. Your witnesses are known criminals, and they can't give you any physical description of the suspect, yet they can ID him from across the room? Did you get a good look at him?"

  "No," Abel said.

  "So why the fuck did you let him get away?"

  "I noticed he had his eyes on Ms. Myers, so I got her out of the building. The suspect was near the back door, and I worried that if he saw me approaching he would leave. Once I had Ms. Myers out of the building, I circled around to the back door. I was hoping to sneak up on him, but when I got back inside, he was already gone. He probably got jumpy when he saw me leave. He must have known I was a cop...it's like he was taunting me. You know the type, it's all a sick game to them. Taunting us is all part of it."

  Abel didn't circle back around. He almost had, but he couldn't have left Effie alone in the car alone. He'd thought about just rushing the panther down while they were in the bar, but he would have slipped out the door, shifted, and outran Abel. Bears were more powerful and could overpower panthers if they cornered them, but Abel had no hope of catching a panther in a straight pursuit. Circling back around may have actually worked, but it would have risked Effie, an unacceptable risk.

  Pierce shook his head. "You told me you'd get results, Bjornson, and all I see is more hunches and bullshit. We just got a new officer transferred in from Soren Falls. I'm strapping him to you. He's your partner. End of discussion."

  Abel drew in a breath to protest, but Pierce growled. "Don't fucking protest! I'm still gonna let you work off your hunch. I don't buy that this guy is the killer, and I sure as hell don't think we can afford 24-hour surveillance based on this hunch. If you're right though, I don't want you to be proven right by this girl disappearing. So, the deal is: you get to follow your gut, but you do it with a partner, got it?”

  Abel crossed his arms across his chest, sighed, and asked, "What's his name?"

  "Alex!" Pierce shouted! "Get your ass in here and meet your new partner!"

  The earthy and alien smell from before returned, but stronger than before. There was a definite smokiness lying beneath the sweet cinnamon notes, and the alien quality set Abel’s bear on high alert. The source of the smell—'Alex'—passed through the doorway and filled the room himself. He was nearly as big as Abel, and he had golden blonde hair, slicked back to expose his strong facial features. Abel wasn't much for judging whether a man was attractive or not, but this man's face—his jutting cheekbones and wintry blue eyes—left little doubt that he was classically handsome. But Abel didn't care if he looked like a Greek god or like a burn victim, as long as he could do his job. As long as he could stay out of Abel's way and wouldn't interfere with his main objective of protecting Effie.

  Abel probed his new partner with his eyes, and they looked at each other knowingly.

  "I'm Alexandrescu...Roman Alexandrescu. Chief just calls me Alex because 'Alexandrescu' is a bit of a mouthful. Feel free to call me whatever you want."

  Alex heard a vaguely eastern European accent. It sounded almost Russian, but not quite.

  Alex reached his hand out, and Abel squeezed it. At first with the grip of a man, and when he felt a deeper strength in Alex's grip, he squeezed with the full power of his bear, and still Alex held a smile, showing no signs of strain.

  He's a shifter...but what the hell kind of animal is he? Nothing I've ever smelled before.

  Alex grinned wider at Abel, relishing his confusion. Surely big shot Roman Alexandrescu knew that Abel was a bear, and he loved that Abel couldn't figure out what he was. That fucking name. Abel knew he could pronounce it, rolled 'r' and all, but he'd just call him 'Alex' all the same.

  Pierce chuckled as they stared each other down. "I've got a tape measurer in my drawer, in case you guys want to get it over with, whip them out, and see whose is longer."

  Abel let go, ignored Pierce, and said, "Look forward to working with you, Alex."

  "You too, Bjornson."

  "I need to get something from my locker," Abel said, "come with me, Alex, and I'll fill you in."

  They walked without a word, and once they entered the locker room, Abel took a few sniffs, just that alien smell. No one else was in the room. He shoved his forearm into Alex's chest and slammed him against the lockers. Alex let him do it, putting up no resistance even as Abel squeezed him harder against the grated metal.

  "Who sent you? And what are you?" Abel growled.

  "Take your hands off me," Alex said in a level voice, "and I'll tell you."

  Abel dug his forearm harder in Alex's collarbone for a brief moment, then let off him entirely. His
inner bear still growled like rolling thunder. Blood rushed through his body, and his muscles twitched as he held still.

  "To answer the first question," Alex said, "my clan sent me. The panthers in Eastern Europe are all riled up, taking orders from someone here. And no, I have no idea why some Panther in some no-name town would have this much pull, but it seems he does. These cats are doing stupid shit. They’re attacking humans, shifting in broad daylight, all kinds of dumb shit. And no matter who we take down over there, it doesn't stop. So my clan wants me to take out the head."

  "Clan," Abel said, "clan of what?"

  "Dragons," Alex said, eyes wild.

  "You're full of shit," Abel said. "Fairytales."

  "Dead serious," Alex said. "I'd shift and show you, but my tail would probably knock the shower-side wall clean off the building."

  If not for the unknown scent, Abel wouldn’t have believed him. But nothing smelled like that, except—apparently—dragons.

  "Why, and how, are you a cop. Not many Russian cops in Oakgate."

  "Romanian, not Russian." Alex said. "I understand your distrust. Most shifters are outlaws and keep their distance from humans. Dragons keep their distance as well, but we're drawn by instinct to power. We manipulate authority, and we're quite good at it. My clan leader pulled some strings, and just like that, the transfer order was in. It's easier for me to find this ringleader if I'm in a position of power."

  "So you're a cop, in Romania?" Abel asked.

  "Yes, according to the transfer order," Alex said, winking.

  "Jesus," Abel said, "so you're a total rookie. No experience doing detective work?"

  "It took considerable detective work to figure out that the panthers' orders were coming from here, and most of that was done by me. I'm no rookie. Besides, I lived in the States as a kid, for a while at least. That’s why my accent is so good. So I know how things work around here.

  "Fine," Abel said, "at least you're a shifter. Just like you said, a panther here is doing stupid shit, and I know he's a panther, but I can't tell anyone else. Dragons have a sense of smell, right?"

  "Yeah," Alex said, "but I'm not here to solve some little abduction case, I'm here to kill the boss. Treat the cause, not the symptoms, you know?"

  Abel slammed Alex back into the locker. He pushed himself eye-to-eye with Alex and said, "My mate is the killer's next target."

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Effie

  Abel came back with another man. He was nearly as tall as Abel, and almost as handsome. It wasn't until a uniformed officer came up and handed the newcomer a sheet to sign off on that Effie realized just how big these men were. The uniformed guy looked like a child next to Abel, and both men had shoulders almost twice as wide as the uniformed officer.

  "This is my partner, Roman Alexandrescu. Just call him Alex," Abel said.

  "Oh," Effie said, "You didn't tell me anything about your partner."

  Alex smiled, and Effie shook his hand. It was hard and powerful, but still warm and inviting.

  Abel said, "I didn't tell you because I didn't have a partner. Not until now."

  "Effie," Abel said. "We need to go follow up on some leads, so you can make yourself at home here."

  "What?" Effie said. "I need to get the bed and breakfast open. I've got a bunch of stuff to do."

  "Well," Abel said, "that's out of the question."

  She felt blood rushing up to her head, and her cheeks flushed with anger. "So you want me to spend all day in this lobby. Should I sleep here too?"

  "I'll come get you after my shift," Abel said, "and guard you personally. Until then, it's not safe for you to leave the station."

  "Look, Abel, I can't put my entire life on hold just because some guy, who may or may not even be the killer, looked at me funny. What's he going to do, break into my house in broad daylight and throw me into the trunk of his car?"

  "I'd take you with me," Abel said, "but what I'm doing is dangerous, and I will never put you in harm's way."

  He spoke with such resoluteness. She felt completely safe and protected, but also annoyed. He had decided what was best for her, and he didn't care what she wanted or thought about it. He was free to look out for her, but he wouldn't tell her what she could do."

  "Well," Effie said, "am I being detained? Because if not, I'm going home to do some cleaning, and then I'm off to run some errands. Send an escort to follow me if you have to, but I'm not staying here all day."

  Abel clenched his strong jaw and balled up his big fists, looking down at Effie.

  "Look," Alex said in a calm tone, cutting through the tension like a knife, "clearly neither of you is going to get your way on this. How about this..." He looked toward Effie, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I will stay with you during the day while Abel follows up on his leads. When he's done, he can relieve me and guard you himself. I'll stay with you wherever you want to go, Effie, so you don't have to stay locked up at home or in the station.”

  "Works for me," Effie said, "I'm glad someone is willing to allow me to live my life."

  "Dammit, Effie," Abel said, "I'm just trying to protect you."

  "Thanks," Effie said, sarcastically.

  She did appreciate it, and she was thankful for it, but at this stage in their relationship, she needed Abel to respect her choices. She didn't want to start things off with him ordering her around, even if he thought it was for her protection. He was being paranoid, and the way he tried to impose his will onto her—without even asking her what she thought—made her blood boil.

  Abel growled deep in his throat, and finally he said, "Fine. Alex, if you let anything happen to her...I swear—"

  "Nothing will happen to her," he said. “You have my word as a...” he cleared his throat, then said, “As your partner.”

  Abel left the station still visibly annoyed. Effie was too annoyed herself to try to patch things over before he left, but as soon as she saw his car drive away, she regretted leaving things like this. She didn't want their relationship to be one where they left things unresolved, and where little fights festered and grew into big problems. As soon as Abel came back, she'd apologize. He was being unreasonable and paranoid, but the more Effie thought about it, the more she could forgive him. He was just trying to keep her safe, and that made her feel toasty warmth deep in her heart.

  "Where to first?" Alex asked her.

  "Um," she said, "that new furniture place that opened up recently. The really big one. Do you remember the name of it?"

  "Marston's?" Alex asked.

  "Yeah, that's it. Can I drive?"

  "Sure," Alex said, smiling.

  Effie was disappointed to see that Alex didn't have a police car. Though she figured that if he did have one, he wouldn't have let her drive. He handed her the keys, and she got into his black SUV. They drove mostly in silence. Alex's eyes scanned the road like a robotic security system as she drove, and any small talk she tried to start was constantly interrupted by Alex ordering her to 'turn left here' or 'loop around this block again.'

  She figured all cops were paranoid like this. Even less reason to be mad at Abel, then.

  They arrived at Marston’s, and when they got inside, Alex finally started getting chatty.

  "All this stuff looks super modern," he said, looking around.

  "You not big on modern decor?" Effie asked.

  "In Romania, the architecture is old. I like the look and feel of old things. They have weight, and history. What does all this have?" he asked, pointing at a display of orange leather couches.

  "Color?" Effie asked. "I like the old furniture in the bed and breakfast. I like the creaky wooden floorboards...the way the whole house feels lived in and alive. You're right: it has history. My family's history. I don't want to replace any of the furniture. I just want to get a few little pieces to make things pop. If I'm going to own and run this place, I want to make it my own…at least in some ways."

  Alex nodded, but his square jaw remained clenched as he looked d
oubtfully around. "Have you been to the Netherlands?"

  "No," Effie said.

  "There's a country with history who has let too much color seep into their aesthetic. So many sleek corners and modern design. Everything is made of glass and shining new."

  "Don't worry, Alex," Effie said, "I'm not planning to go totally Dutch, just a small redesign."

  Having Alex with her was nice, because he was tall and strong and could pull the heavier pieces right off the shelves for her. She felt kind of bad though, turning him into her glorified manservant. She wished Abel were with her, as she wouldn't feel bad about having him help her with this. Still, Effie didn't buy any huge furniture, and everything Alex helped her with was likely trivial for him to lift. She mostly bought smaller things like throw rugs, lamps, and accent pieces for the bathrooms. Nothing that a strong guy like Alex couldn't lift in his sleep.