Purrks of the Job: Paranormal Ex-SEAL Surprise Pregnancy Mafia Romance (Chicago Catastrophe)

by Anya Nowlan

  Axe was sniffing the air, a frown on his face, while Mac was already stepping forward, head on a swivel. It was obvious they had figured out he hadn’t come back alone. The air was thick with the sweet smell of a woman in the prime of her youth, and no shifter could be left unaffected by that.

  Mine.

  The growl rose in River’s throat practically unprompted, bubbling up from deep within. He moved a step, covering any path to Kate with his wide, powerful frame.

  “And you’ve brought a guest,” Dyson commented, throwing River a curious look.

  All eyes turned to gape behind him as Kate stepped into the living room, looking as dignified and defiant as ever, despite her state of relative undress.

  “Kate Walker, nice to meet you,” she said, as the air filled with growls.

  Seventeen

  Kate

  Great. Another impossible situation. I haven’t been in enough of those.

  Readying herself for a fight, Kate crouched down, bending at the knees. Being the only human in a room full of burly shifters, she didn’t have any illusions how this might turn out, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to at least try and kick some ass on the way to an early grave.

  She had managed to take out more than a few tigers when she was helping Stone, so she at least had a shot of getting out with her life. Not having any weapons hurt her chances some, though…

  And if River decided to turn against her, she was as good as dead.

  The man River had called his brother was the only one who didn’t have his teeth bared and his muscles coiled, ready to pounce. He just stared at her curiously before folding himself into one of the armchairs in the room. The rest of them seemed to be stuck in some perpetual state of trying to figure out whether they wanted to rip her to shreds, or just stare at her curves.

  “Back off!” River thundered to the others, lips peeling back in a snarl.

  The men advancing towards her reluctantly stopped in their tracks, their gazes swinging from her to River. The tallest one, a vicious looking man with scars all over his face and his black hair pulled back into a ponytail, spoke first.

  “What is this?” he demanded, crossing his thick arms in front of him.

  “Are you questioning me in my own home, Axe?” River countered, a dangerous edge to his voice.

  Straightening up, Kate steadied herself at the edge of the room, almost able to smell the testosterone in the air. These were all dominant, dangerous men who didn’t like being told what to do, but none of them seemed to want to defy River. The leader of the Crimson Claws looked like he might turn in to a tiger and start ripping into them at any second.

  I guess he really isn’t going to kill me if he’s defending me in front of a room full of his goons.

  “Calm down, brother. We’re all just a little curious. That is the assassin who helped take out half of Parker’s crew, alive and… apparently wearing your t-shirt?”

  River squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw, the snarl finally leaving his lips. Waves of predatory power rolled off him as he stood in the middle of the room, meeting everyone’s gaze one by one, while Kate was left to cross her arms over her chest in an attempt at modesty.

  Why couldn’t he have given me a black shirt? she pondered, doing her best to look intimidating in spite of the circumstances. It’s tough to look scary when everyone can see your nipples.

  River had saved the dark shirt for himself, though he’d played it off as a great show of chivalry. The one Kate was wearing hadn’t at least been worn by him when he’d abducted her from the parking lot.

  “Yes, Dyson, this is Kate Walker. And there’s a reason she is still alive, but I don’t have to explain myself to you, or to anyone else for that matter.”

  The man standing next to Axe didn’t look happy with that answer. He looked nervous, twitchy even, as he ran a hand over his crew cut, drawing her attention to the row of piercings along the edge of his ear.

  “Sure you do,” he muttered under his breath.

  In the blink of an eye, River was standing in front of him, his hands wrapped around the mobster’s throat. The speed with which he moved was amazing, especially considering his size.

  Kate found herself edging closer to him, like she wanted to watch his back in case any of the others decided to make a move.

  Why am I looking out for him? I should be hoping they started ripping each other up so I could escape in the chaos.

  The answer to that particular question did not appear to be forthcoming any time soon.

  “What was that, Talon? You mind repeating yourself?” River growled, fingers tightening around the man’s neck.

  Talon’s eyes were bulging as he struggled against River’s hold, trying to pry his hands open. River remained entirely unperturbed by the man’s attempts to get free. He looked around the room, his gruff voice echoing off the walls as he spoke, his voice unstrained as if he wasn’t holding a man up by his damn trachea while talking.

  “Anyone else have something to say? I’m all ears. How about you, Mac?”

  Mac, who had been silent through all of this, raised his hands in surrender. His tattoos peeked out from under his sleeves.

  Mac spared a glance at Dyson before uttering a quick “I’m good.”

  No one made a move to help Talon as he was starting to turn blue, with River showing no signs he was going to release the man. Kate sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything. As far as she was concerned, Talon’s death would mean one less scumbag running around on the streets of Chicago.

  I can live with that, she thought, trying to maneuver her arms over her chest in an effort to cover herself up more.

  It was Talon’s own fault he was getting his neck resized, mouthing off to River. No leader worth their salt was going to let that fly, especially in front of an audience.

  After a couple of more seconds of tense silence, River finally uncoiled his fingers from around Talon’s throat and the man fell to his knees, gasping for air. Everyone avoided River’s gaze as he moved back to the middle of the room and stood there, the king of his castle.

  A very pissed king of his castle.

  A small part of Kate was impressed, as crazy as that was. River definitely knew how to gain control of a situation. He wouldn’t have remained the head of the Crimson Claws for so long if he had been lacking in ruthlessness and leadership skills.

  As much as she didn’t mind messing with him, she could definitely see why the men who called him boss would not want to.

  “Get out of my house before you really start to piss me off,” River ordered.

  Not having to be told twice, Axe, Talon and Mac filed out, bowing their heads as they passed River. Talon was still rubbing his neck, looking a bit worse for wear. She could still hear some low growls as they edged past her.

  River might have been able to keep them in line, but that didn’t mean they still didn’t want her dead.

  Kate held her head high, not cowed by their attempt at intimidation. She cocked a brow at them, almost going as far as to meet their snarls with one of her own.

  That’s right, keep walking.

  Dyson remained seated, tapping his fingers on the edge of the armrest, looking entirely unamused. As soon as the men were out the door, he turned to River with a smile that was anything but sincere, his expression changing in an instant.

  “Got yourself a new pet?”

  Tilting his head, River glowered at his brother, before letting out a sigh. He scuffed a hand through his hair and that had to be the closest Kate had seen him to being sheepish in any way, shape or form.

  “I thought I made myself clear. I want to be alone.”

  “Come on, I’m not just anyone. You can talk to me.”

  River didn’t look convinced by the congenial tone of Dyson’s voice. The air wasn’t exactly filled with brotherly love, the way they stared at each other, it looked more like a standoff.

  A standoff which Kate had found herself right in the middle of.
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  “I’m not in the mood. I’ll call you tomorrow and we can discuss anything I might have missed during my absence.”

  With a small shrug, Dyson pushed himself out of the armchair and walked over to clap his brother on the shoulder. He threw Kate an examining look and she returned it with a narrow-eyed glare of her own.

  “I’m sure we have a lot to catch up on,” he said, before brushing past her just a little too closely on his way to the exit.

  He might have even sniffed her. Kate chose the high road and didn’t say a word about it, though.

  Everything about Dyson struck her as disingenuous. He was not a man she would turn her back on, and she got the sense River felt the same way. Or maybe it was just a usual case of sibling rivalry. Not having any brothers and sisters herself, she wasn’t really an expert on the subject.

  The tension between them was palpable, though.

  Guess family matters aren’t really my forte, she mused with a certain tint of sourness.

  Walking over to the winding staircase behind her, she sat down on one of the steps. Kate studied River, still standing in the middle of the room with his back to her, his shoulders tense.

  “That’s not going to be the last of that,” she remarked.

  “I’ll handle it. Let me show you to your room.”

  Some of the rigidity left his body as he turned around and gave her a smile, however forced. If she didn’t know he had nearly choked a man out while putting a bunch of shifters in their place no more than a minute ago, she never would have guessed it.

  He’s definitely more than a little unpredictable. If not unstable.

  Knowing that, she still couldn’t help but stare as he walked over to her, muscles bunching underneath his clothes and that roguish gleam back in his eye. A deep warmth filled her center, her body remembering his touch all too well and begging for a repeat, while her mind kept reminding her he was not only a mob boss but her captor.

  “I can give you a tour of the place,” he offered with an outstretched hand.

  Kate almost reached out and grabbed it, before coming back to her senses.

  Damn, he is way too tempting. And you’re letting your guard down. This is no time for that.

  Gathering up all the sarcasm and contempt she could muster, she rolled her eyes at him.

  “Wow, the warden himself giving his new inmate a tour of the facilities. I’m flattered. But I’d rather go take a shower and then do my best to avoid you altogether.”

  Actually, she didn’t want to avoid him at all, but that was a side of her she couldn’t indulge. They were on uneven ground, with him having all the power, and she had to lean on whatever anger she could find inside of her to not fall into his arms.

  Maybe she was foolishly clinging onto whatever control she had left, but she was stubborn enough to not care.

  Ignoring him would go so much more smoothly if he was a little less easy on the eyes and a lot less deadly.

  River’s hand flew to his heart as he conjured up an expression of hurt and disappointment.

  “Twist the dagger in my chest, why don’t you,” he said with exaggerated emotion.

  Kate had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. She still had her pride, and laughing at her kidnapper’s jokes was out of the question. No way was she going to admit that she found him as cute as he thought he was.

  “Just show me to my cell.”

  “As you wish,” he replied, gesturing for her to go first.

  Climbing the steps, Kate couldn’t help but wonder what this was all building up to. River’s men, at least those who didn’t know about her staying in his house already, were going to be pissed when they found out she wasn’t dead. She’d killed their brothers in arms. Even mobsters had a code of conduct, and keeping assassins who were not on their side alive was definitely not a part of it.

  They might even question River’s leadership, like Talon had. And it hadn’t escaped her attention the meeting Dyson was having when they showed up was definitely not meant to involve River.

  His brother is up to something. This could end up with both me and River dead if we’re not careful.

  Only after the thought had passed through her head did she realize the thought of River dead scared her more than she’d like to admit.

  I’m in more trouble than I thought.

  Eighteen

  River

  After guiding Kate to the guest bedroom, River reluctantly closed the door after him and left her alone. Being crammed into a car with him for an extended period of time, he could understand she needed some space, even if all he wanted to do was join her in the shower she was going to take.

  For now, having her under the same roof as him would be enough. It felt right, the way her scent hung in the air, and he could still sense she was close by, even when he couldn’t see her.

  I hope she finds the guest bedroom comfortable, he caught himself thinking, even though that should have been the last thing on his mind considering the mess he was in. She really has done a number on me.

  It was a confusing feeling, wanting to have her near. River had never been one to seek out companionship, especially not after founding the Crimson Claws. He had tried having a relationship before joining the Navy, but it just wasn’t for him.

  Which made the effect Kate had on him even more bewildering.

  The things a mate can do to a tiger…

  There were little hints, a crack here and there, where a different side of Kate was revealed to him. It was no surprise, everyone had layers, but she carefully kept any feelings that went deeper than the surface to herself, as if she was afraid of what would happen if she let them out.

  It had to have something to do with her husband’s death, but River wasn’t prepared to poke that particular hornet’s nest again so soon.

  Luckily, he would time to unravel her as she wasn’t going anywhere. Not if he had a say in it.

  And this time? Well, he certainly did.

  “Gunner, I need you in the house,” River said into the walkie-talkie he picked up from one of the halfway rooms.

  “Affirmative,” came the crisp answer.

  Gunner was one of the guys who made sure he didn’t have any surprise visitors. River didn’t usually have many guards circling his property, as he didn’t advertise his location and only his lieutenants knew where to find him.

  But now he had to worry about people getting out, in addition people getting in. And maybe more security wasn’t such a bad idea regardless of having an especially resourceful prisoner under his roof.

  A shifter organization called The Firm had been meddling in his business lately, causing all sorts of trouble. They alone were enough to warrant tighter security.

  They employed ex-SEALS like him, operated under a military structure and answered to no one. They were known to be brutally effective, but not much was known about how they operated, since they didn’t leave a lot behind once they were done with a mission, least of all witnesses.

  Yet River had managed to tie more than one unfortunate incident amongst his ranks to The Firm. He even had strong suspicions one of their agents had managed to infiltrate the Crimson Claws, getting so far as to make lieutenant. Considering that everyone connected to that incident had died or disappeared, he didn’t have anyone to question on it.

  It didn’t surprise him, really. Someone tough enough to make a living working for The Firm shouldn’t have much difficulty climbing the Claws ladder.

  Reluctant respect aside, he had lost some of his most effective lieutenants to assassins and traitors. At this point, he had no doubt The Firm’s end goal was to dismantle his organization altogether, ending with taking him out of the picture. Maybe he’d stepped on the wrong toes, or maybe he was just doing too well. It didn’t matter, as the end result would be the same regardless.

  River wasn’t one to blow his own horn, but he knew he was one of few people who could keep something like the Crimson Claws running as smoothly as he had
. Not many people were going to like that.

  Once he was gone, the Claws’ collapse would follow.

  Whether that was something that could be considered an option for the future, River was not yet sure.

  Gunner appeared in the living room, dressed impeccably in a suit and wearing a professionally neutral expression. He was more lean than buff, with a thin face and wide-set eyes, but River knew under the inconspicuous look was a man as lethal as they come.

  “Sir?”

  “I’m going to need all entrances and exits covered at all times, and a perimeter set up around the house in case someone slips past anyway.”

  “Sir,” Gunner nodded firmly, before disappearing again when River waved him off.

  So Gunner might not have been the chattiest or most personable man in the world, but he was the best at what he did. River knew his request would be fulfilled quickly and efficiently, like every other task he’d ever given to the tiger shifter. He’d get his teams on it and to the best of their current ability, River could consider that issue put to bed.

  Now that that’s taken care of…

  Sinking into one of the couches, he let his head fall back and his muscles relax. It seemed like every cell in his body had tensed up as soon as he walked through the door and found his brother scheming behind his back.

  Okay, so that was maybe a little harsh of a conclusion, but River knew his little brother. Dyson was up to something, he could feel it in his bones.

  There had been something going on with him even before River left Chicago, and now, with Kate here, Dyson had even more reason to stick his nose into his business. Under the guise of curiosity and brotherly concern, of course.

  No doubt Dyson, as well as Axe, Talon and Mac, were already telling anyone who would listen how River had made the infamous assassin his housepet instead of taking care of the problem like he had promised.

  It was all the more out of character when one looked at his track record. Everyone knew his word was his bond and that when he said he would do something, it sure as hell got done. A sudden break in that pattern was sure to get people talking.