by C. D. Hersh
“Let me help. I have connections.”
Alexi hesitated. Having another shifter to work with would make things much easier. She missed Baron’s council. He’d loved Sylvia—she knew that now—but not more than his life’s work. She understood that. She felt the same way about Rhys and her job.
“Let me help, please. I want to catch the person who killed the man I love.”
The man she loves. Not loved. If she still cares for Baron, can I trust her? Will that make her motives purer? She laid her left hand over Sylvia’s. The colors in Alexi’s bloodstone ring swirled, and another power surge raced through her arm.
“Okay. You can help me find Baron’s killer. But when we do, legal justice will take over, not revenge.”
Sylvia nodded. “Agreed.”
Alexi hoped they both could keep that promise when the time came.
Chapter 11
Rhys glanced at his watch. Alexi was running out of time. Five women, who’d gone into the building after Alexi, had already come out. Would he have to go into that hormone-filled office and track her down?
His mind raced with attack scenarios. Someone had followed her into the exam room. A hit man had killed the doctor and cancelled all the appointments, except Alexi’s.
He snapped off the radio, rolled up the windows, and opened the truck door. I should have gone with her. Not being where I can keep an eye on her makes me nervous as a rookie on his first stakeout. He slammed the door as Alexi exited the building.
Rhys rushed across the parking lot, grabbed her arm, and held her close. “What took so long?”
Alexi batted her eyelashes at him. “Do you want a blow-by-blow description? Or shall I just hit the highlights?”
Rhys glared at her and tapped his watch. “Time’s up.”
She checked her watch. “I’ve got three minutes and twenty seconds left.”
“Five women came out in less than an hour.”
“They probably had another doctor. It’s a multiple doctor office. My OB-GYN is popular. You wait hours in his office.
Rhys opened the passenger door for Alexi. “Last time you’re out of my sight. Where you go, I go.”
Alexi spun around, nearly knocking Rhys over. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t follow me everywhere.”
“Watch me.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t protect you if I can’t be with you. I’m sticking to you like a slime on a frog.”
“Over my dead body.” She got in the truck and banged the door shut.
Rhys’ sticky attitude could cause big problems. She had to meet Sylvia again. No way would she let Rhys come along. Could she find another excuse? Probably not one that worked as well as the OB-GYN.
Rhys’ cell phone rang as he opened the driver’s door. He flipped it open and dropped onto the seat. “Temple. Captain Williams. What’s up?”
What did the captain want? Maybe there was news about Baron. She tilted to the left so she could hear.
“Is Jordan there?” Captain Williams asked.
Alexi took the phone from Rhys. “I’m here. Do you have some news about my uncle?”
“Put me on speaker.”
Alexi punched the speaker button and held the phone between her and Rhys.
“We checked out the fellows from Baron’s PI papers. They have alibis.”
Rhys cursed under his breath.
Alexi’s stomach rotated like a Ferris wheel. Rhys had pinned his hopes on those men and had nearly convinced her, too. They were back to square one.
“Something weird has developed, though.”
Great, just what I need. More weird.
“There’s been another mugging, but this time the victim got a good look at the perp.” The captain paused. “I think you should come in and review the composite drawing he gave us.”
“Be there in twenty.” Rhys closed the cell phone. “Sorry, Lexi.”
“Me, too. Pinning it on them would have freed you to go back to the job.”
Rhys’ head snapped toward her. “Is my presence that offensive?”
“Not your presence as much as your overbearing, overprotective, macho attitude. I need space, Rhys. Your bodyguard behavior, albeit heartwarming and sweet . . .” Because it lets me know you care. “. . . is killing me.”
The minute she said the words she wished them back. Rhys’ face clouded over and his jaw tightened. “Don’t get me wrong,” she continued. “Under normal circumstances, I’d love hanging out with you, but—”
“These aren’t normal circumstances. I will protect you even if it kills the both of us.”
“It just might, if I don’t kill you first,” she retorted.
The inflexible lines of his face told Alexi he was determined to play hero. Just as determined as she was on slipping away. If she couldn’t get around him, their struggle might kill more than she intended. Could she live with that?
The tension in the truck hung thick as a coastal fog. Rhys sneaked a glance at Alexi when they stopped at a red light. She sat ramrod stiff, facing the window, her long ebony hair draped over her shoulder and down her left breast. Desire for her flared in him.
He wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her. Instead, everything he’d done caused her to move away from him. Women usually fell at his feet. But not Alexi. Not from the beginning and certainly not now.
The minute he set eyes on her, he’d wanted her. Not just physically, but on a deeper level. That scared him. Exhilarated him. Caused him to act like a stubborn ass.
Why shouldn’t he keep her safe? A man should want to keep the woman he loved safe. He redirected his attention to the street and punched the gas pedal down farther than he intended. The truck lurched forward. He just admitted he loved her. How the hell?
They rode all the way to the precinct in silence. Rhys parked, and Alexi jumped out before he could cut off the ignition. He thrust the gear into park.
“You could have waited,” he said when he caught up to her.
Alexi tossed him a pissed-off glare and lengthened her stride.
Rhys matched her pace and opened the entrance door before she could. She waved him ahead of her.
He arched a questioning eyebrow at her. So it’s like that?
She stood her ground and waved him in again.
“Damn,” Rhys said as he went through the door, “you’re a pain in the ass, Lexi.”
“Takes one to know one.”
He nearly choked as he stuffed his laughter down at her juvenile comeback. He grinned, his mood lightened. “I suppose.”
Alexi’s mouth straightened into a thin line Rhys recognized as her attempt to stifle a smile. He loved that about her—she couldn’t stay angry at him. He held the next door open and Alexi waltzed through it.
Captain Williams motioned Alexi and Rhys toward the two chairs opposite his desk and slid a folder across the worn top. “This drawing might be a bit of a shock, but I need your input.”
Alexi opened the folder and gasped. Her uncle’s face stared back at her from the paper. “Baron,” she said, the word barely audible.
Rhys pointed at the drawing. “That the mugger?”
Captain Williams tipped his chair back and scrubbed at his forehead. “Doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“Are we sure this is the man?” Alexi asked. “Could the victim be mistaken?”
“Not likely. The guy claims to have a photographic memory. He insists this is the man who mugged him.”
“Maybe it’s a mask that resembles Baron,” Rhys suggested.
Captain Williams shook his head. “I already asked. There was no mask.”
“He’s dead,” Rhys said. “How?”
You don’t want to know. He’s figured out how to use the ring, mimic shifting into Baron. She needed back on the inside, and quick. “I think, since we’re going to be chasing my dead uncle, I should forget about bereavement leave.”
“No,” Rhys and Captain Williams said in unison.
“I can’t risk your
emotions getting in the way of an investigation,” the captain said. “You just lost your uncle and now his double is out there mugging people. How would you handle it if you came upon Baron mid-crime? Could you shoot your uncle? That could screw with your mind. Make you deal with some heavy psychological stuff, Jordan. I’m not putting you in that situation.”
“But—”
“No buts. Take her home, Temple. I got what I needed.”
Rhys gently grasped Alexi’s arm and helped her stand. “Let’s go, Lexi.”
“Wait,” the captain said. “I forgot to ask. When you ID’d Baron you asked about a ring. Can you describe it?”
Alexi held her left hand out. “Like this.”
“That matches the description the victim gave,” Captain Williams said.
Alexi’s blood pounded in her ears. That confirmed her suspicions. “He was wearing Baron’s ring?”
“Or one just like it.”
One just like it? Could there be two people mimic shifting? She hadn’t considered the possibility someone other than Baron’s killer could have mugged this latest victim.
Panic threatened to overtake her. In order to find either criminal, she had to shape shift. No way around it, and if Rhys found out, she could lose everything.
Chapter 12
“I’m sorry to call you so late, but we’ve got a problem.”
“Alexi?” Sylvia’s sleep-filled voice sounded muffled and a bit irritated. “What time is it?”
“Two a.m.”
“Do you always keep these hours?”
Alexi heard the rustle of sheets on the other end of the line. “Blame it on my bodyguard.”
“You have a bodyguard? On your salary?” Her voice came across crisp and clear.
She had Sylvia’s attention now. “It’s my partner, Rhys. He’s taken on the job of protecting me since my uncle’s murder and the break-in at my house.”
“How caveman of him. Is that the problem?”
“It’s a problem, but not the one I called about. Someone’s mimicking Baron.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. There could be two mimickers. I need your help, Sylvia.”
“We should meet somewhere.”
“I can’t get out of the house by myself. Rhys is sticking to me like a wet swimsuit.”
“Why don’t you use your alter ego?”
“What?”
“Come on. Do you mean to tell me that you never stuffed pillows under the bedcovers and snuck out of the house as a boy?”
“Nope, but I’m betting you did.”
“You can shift, can’t you?”
“Of course I can.” Alexi ignored Sylvia’s jab and continued, “A man who’s Baron’s twin, wearing a Turning Stone ring, mugged a victim last night. I think he might be Baron’s killer.”
“Go on.”
“If he’s committing crimes mimic shifted, I figure he’s going to be easier to find if another shape shifter hunts him. It’s too risky for me to shift. I need you to track him.”
“It’s risky for all of us, Alexi.”
“This is my hometown. I could lose my job if someone catches me shape shifting.” And Rhys.
“I’m a high level Homeland Security official, Alexi. If someone sees me it could have national repercussions.”
“You said you’d help me. You begged to help.”
“Help, not do the job for you.” Sylvia sighed. “It’s late, and this conversation is going nowhere. Think about what I said. If you want me to help, figure out a way to slip the caveman’s grip and come to my hotel. Say, tomorrow morning at eleven.”
“I can’t.” A noise in the hallway caused her to stop. “I’ve got to go now,” Alexi whispered. “I’ll call you later.” She took her gun out of the nightstand drawer, flipped out the light, and crossed to the door.
Easing the door open, she peered down the hallway. Rhys was starting down the stairs.
“Why aren’t you asleep, Rhys?” You’re supposed to be asleep. I waited until two a.m. to call, thinking you’d be sawing logs, and here you are outside my door.
He stopped and came down the hallway. “I heard a noise and was checking the house. Besides, how am I supposed to sleep when I know you’re so upset? You’ve barely spoken since we left the precinct. I know Baron’s face on that drawing upset you.”
Alexi rested her forehead on the door. Rhys was right. She had been upset, was still upset. Her conversation with Sylvia hadn’t helped. Every idea she thought of to catch Baron’s killer without shape shifting fizzled into nothing. She drew in a shaky breath. She didn’t want to, but she had to risk shifting.
“Lexi,” Rhys said, his voice, soft and husky, “Let me help you, sweetheart.”
He stood in the hallway, his bare, muscled chest bathed in silver moonlight streaming through the landing window. The striped pajama bottoms, slung low on his hips, left nothing to her imagination. Alexi’s breath caught. He was so handsome, and she wanted him so much.
Taking his hand, she urged him into the bedroom and closed the door. If she was going to risk everything by shape shifting, she was going to find out what was at stake.
When Alexi laid her palm on his bare chest, Rhys wished for a tee shirt . . . and a pair of tight briefs to hide his growing passion. Her hand seared his skin and his soul. He gathered her into his arms trying to ignore the desire that snaked through him when she touched him. She seemed so forlorn. He had to tend to her needs, not his.
“We’ll catch him. I promise,” he whispered.
She murmured an unintelligible answer against his chest, her soft words tickling too close to his nipple for comfort.
Tilting her face so he could see her, he asked, “How can I help you, Lexi?”
She moved away from him and trailed her fingertips down his arm. Grasping his hand, she tugged him toward the bed. The moonlight from the bedroom window backlit her, silhouetting her figure through the gauzy nightshirt. He struggled to keep his composure. Martial arts training hadn’t taught him how to fight this. He didn’t know if he could hold out.
He drew away, breaking contact. “You don’t mean that. You’re just upset.” She was too vulnerable now. And she’d hate him in the morning if he caved.
“I want this, Rhys. I swear I do.”
Rhys’ heart swelled until he thought it would explode from his chest. For six months, he had waited to hear those words. He stroked her hair. Only God knew how much he wanted her. Alexi relaxed into his touch, nuzzling his hand with her cheek.
Why now, Lexi? If you’d only said this three days ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated.
He tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s grief speaking.”
“It’s not grief. We’ve been dancing around this attraction for months. I don’t want to wait. I can’t wait.” She moved him nearer to the bed.
“I can’t,” he said with a groan.
A confused expression came over her face. “I don’t get it. Have I been misreading you?” When he didn’t answer right away, Alexi twisted away. “I feel so stupid.” A tiny whimper escaped her lips. She clamped her hand over her mouth.
Go. She’s given you an out. But he couldn’t stand the thought that he’d hurt her. He stepped closer to her. “It’s not that. I have been chasing you.”
“And you caught me.” Her eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. “Has it just been a game to you? Am I just another notch in your belt? One of those sappy women who fall all over you?”
He chuckled.
Alexi gave him a pained sigh. “What’s so funny?”
His laugh deepened. “You’ve resisted me. Six months is a record time to fight the Temple charm.”
She cracked a smile. “It’s about time someone took you down to size, don’t you think?”
“Better you than anyone else.”
Her face sobered. “And I’d rather it be you who takes me. There’s no one else, Rhys. Not before you, not now, and probably not ever.”
“
What?” Her words startled him.
“Oh, for heaven sakes.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t make me beg.”
He considered it . . . for a moment. She’d put his reputation on the line. Made him think he’d lost his touch. Sent his water bill sky high from cold showers. Watching her squirm with need gave him satisfaction. Truth was, no one got to him like she did.
“What’s holding you back, Rhys?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. What was holding him back?
A bunch of idiots at the office? If they found out, he’d bully them into silence.
Her dead uncle? Baron had liked him. He wouldn’t mind if Alexi found some happiness.
Her state of mind? She seemed clear about what she wanted.
“Why now, Lexi?”
“Why not?” she whispered, cupping his chin in her hands. “Besides, what difference does it make? I wanted you yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. I’ve wanted you for months.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
She moved closer. “I just did.”
The air between them pulsated. Her desire ignited his hunger for her.
Alexi brushed her lips against his. “Rhys?” She pressed against him. “I know what your body says. But what about your heart?”
He crushed her to him. “The same thing.” He slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her. She took his breath away. Made him desire her touch. Made him crave the exquisite release he’d been dreaming of. With great effort, he put space between them and gazed into her eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“You won’t be sorry in the morning?”
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Only if you don’t live up to your reputation.”
Chapter 13
Rhys’ hand swept across the rumpled covers. He wanted Alexi’s soft body next to him one more time before they got out of bed. He longed to smell her jasmine and sandalwood perfume deepening as their passion grew, filling his senses until he could think of nothing but her.
His fingers bunched the sheet, searching, and came up empty. He rolled on his side and opened his eyes. No Lexi. Bolting upright, he scanned the room. The nightshirt she’d worn, for only minutes after he’d given in, lay on the end of the bed. Her watch and jewelry no longer sat on the bedside table. He scooted out of bed and threw on his clothes, hoping she hadn’t started another scrubbing frenzy. That would be a bad sign.