He didn’t say anything, shifting his balance from behind me. I could hear the rustle of leather, the small weapon coming out from his pocket.
Finally we were on clear ground, the entire group now behind us. Bare feet pawed at the grass, digging up clumps from old graves and new in their eagerness for a kill.
“Keep moving. And don’t turn around.” I kept pushing Bran back until the wrought-iron gates passed in front of us. No one was following us. Another mighty roar came from the crowd, probably Jess trying to regain control.
“That. Was. Intense.” Bran wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as I finally turned around.
“We’re not out of here yet.” Grabbing his hand, I broke into a jog, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds.
It was only after the car doors slammed behind us that I dared to breathe, watching Brandon start up the engine and back us out of the small space. Still, I could catch the eagerness on the air, the hunting instinct rising and falling with every breeze. Maybe I hadn’t saved Davis after all.
“Just gun it.” I pointed down the gravel road. “Don’t even think about the speed limit until we hit the highway.” He followed my instructions without question, spitting gravel over the other cars as we raced down the lane and away from the Farm.
“So...is every party like that one?” Bran joked as he slid the Jeep into traffic on the 400. A tractor-trailer zoomed by, honking angrily at our invasion of his space. “Idiot!” Bran flipped him the bird. “Don’t piss me off, not today!” He yelled through the closed window.
“Smooth move.” I puffed out short breaths through my mouth, inhaling through my nose. It was the best way of cleansing my senses of the overflow. “Just get us back to your place in one piece, please.” Closing my eyes, I forced my fear back into the darkness in my mind’s eye, the images of being torn apart by my own Family no longer front and centre.
“Roger that.” He passed the stun gun back to me. “Think they killed him anyway?”
“I...I don’t know.” I looked out the window at the passing farmland. “I suspect that Jess let him live because he didn’t reveal how involved I was in the entire matter.”
“What?” He lifted his hand as a car cut us off then lowered it back onto the steering wheel.
“The Board hired me because they wanted the murder kept a secret. They didn’t want the Pride knowing that one of our kind had been killed because either it highlighted our vulnerability to the humans or the horror of one of our own going rogue.” I brushed a wayward lock of hair out of my mouth. “Davis thought he was doing the right thing, disciplining Ruth for making the decision to give me Pride files on her own.”
“Except that if she hadn’t, you’d be further away from grabbing this killer than ever.” He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “So Davis isn’t related to the murder in any way?”
“I’m not sure. He was looking at someone in the crowd, I didn’t see who, but it’s enough for me to wonder that it wasn’t just Ruth’s breaking the rules that got her killed.” The traffic was slowing now as we approached Toronto, the Gardiner Expressway a tangle of trucks, commuting cars and lost tourists who had picked the wrong time to visit the city. “Jess’ll probably let him live because he shut up about my connection.”
“They’re pretty pissed at you, eh?” The Jeep moved into the right-hand lane, preparing to take the exit that would bring us back to Bran’s condo. “I might not have your heightened senses but I was getting a whole lot of hostility from those men and women. And not just because you’re the cutest one there.”
“It’s pretty complicated. I’m not really sure if I get it myself.” The cars around us slowed to a crawl. “I’m a bit of an anomaly in the system. So they don’t really know how to deal with me.”
“Hmm.” Bran turned the wheel, manoeuvring us into the underground parking lot. He waved at the parking attendant who waved us through, a wide grin on his face as Bran passed him a ten dollar bill. “But that still doesn’t resolve the problem of who killed Janey.”
“Exactly.” I unbuckled the belt as we came to a stop. “Langley isn’t the killer—he’s too old and he couldn’t have travelled down here in time for all the events, aside from not having a motive to kill a teacher.”
The car door opened. Bran took my hand and pulled me out, snapping my reverie. “Well, let’s take a short break and get refreshed. If what you’re saying is true, then we’re getting closer.” He gave me a sad smile. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have trashed your place. He must have really thought you had the files there and that they were important to revealing his identity.”
The elevator doors opened on the main lobby, our reflections in the finely polished doors distorted and misshapen. It matched what was going on in my mind.
The doorman touched the brim of his cap. “Mr. Hanover.” He smiled at me, his eyes sparkling over the thick moustache. “Good day.” He held out a small envelope. “Your key, miss. They said that it’s all sealed up just fine.”
Bran nodded. “No one comes up to see me without you calling for permission. No one.” His stern voice snapped the veteran to attention. “Let’s just say that it’s a precarious situation right now.”
Dan nodded, his bushy moustache bobbing. “Affirmative, sir. No one gets through.”
“You realise that’s not exactly reassuring to me,” I murmured to Bran as the doors shut again and the elevator began to ascend to his floor. “The guy who dropped off your photograph got up here, no problem.”
“Gotta do something.” The reporter cleared his throat. “Besides, Dan’s a pretty good judge of character. Can’t hurt to let him know that we’re in danger right now.”
“If that works for you.” I waved one hand in the air as he opened the door.
Jazz looked up from her position on the leather couch, barely having moved since we had left. The white cat mewed her annoyance when I sat down beside her. She moved to curl up on my lap.
Brandon picked up the Langley file. “Let me try again to get hold of my Mountie contact.”
“He won’t have anything on this guy.” I shook my head. “It’s unlikely Langley has done anything illegal other than maybe a parking ticket or two. We tend to try and keep a low profile.” A pounding began behind my eyes as I let out a deep sigh. “Them, me, we... I keep getting confused. I thought I had left all of this crap behind me.”
Dropping the folder down on the table, he sat down beside me. Jazz took the opportunity to stretch out across both laps, getting a two-for-one deal on petting. Bran began to stroke my hair.
“Look, how about we hit the showers and then grab a nap. I’ll set my dogs on Langley and see what they can turn up.” His fingers tangled around a knot in my hair, provoking a string of curses from him as he gently pulled them free without hurting me. “You’ve got to be exhausted.”
“I’m pretty wiped.” I admitted. Strangely enough for my line of work, confrontations aren’t my strong point. My head was still spinning from my sudden show of bravery in facing down Jess and a whole pack of angry Felis.
“Then let’s do it.” Curling Jazz into a ball, he got up, placing her in the warm spot he had just vacated. “You stand watch while I take your mistress away for a bit.”
The white cat looked up at him with disdain. I got up on my own, chuckling.
Bran glanced from me to the cat and back, a sudden look of concern on his face. “You’re not related or anything, right? This isn’t some freaky mutation thing, is it?”
I laughed, feeling a bit of tension lift from my shoulders. “Not a chance. She’s an ugly street cat that wandered into the house one day and decided to stay.” Leaning down, I scratched her behind the ears. She responded by closing her eyes and purring in that ragged, disjointed way I had come to love. “We’re about as related as you humans are to spider monkeys. Or something like that.”
“Okay. Just checking.” Bran grinned. “Didn’t want to offend your great-grandmother or something like that.”
Putting one hand around my waist, he pointed toward the bathroom. “Let me put the tracers out and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
I hesitated. “Bran, I’m not sure I’ll feel like... I mean...” The burning in my face revealed my embarrassment.
“Hey!” Putting up his hands, the tall man laughed softly. “Believe it or not, we’re not all wild sex machines.” He looked at me, his eyes deep and soft. “You’ve had one helluva day. The last thing on my mind is making love to you.” A naughty sparkle appeared. “At least right now. We’ll see in a few days how things settle down.” Waving me away, he strutted toward the computer desk, picking up the portable phone en route. “I’ll see you in there. And don’t laugh when you see the peppermint body wash. It’s one of those aromatherapy things I read about once.”
Jazz meowed after me as I stepped into the bathroom, stripping off the smelly clothing that had covered me for way too long. The shirt went into the far corner of the room atop the jeans and underwear, the sports bra dangling over the heap like some sort of warped retail ad. “Gonna have to burn those.” My nose wrinkled up at the intensity of the odours. At times I didn’t relish having such a wonderful sense of smell.
The hot water was exactly that—hot and plentiful. I stepped under it and started to scrub every inch of my skin with the washcloth plucked from the small inset shelf. It’s bad enough when you have to wear a shirt for more than one day, but mix in the rush of aromas from a pack of angry Felis, my own and that of Bran and I ended up with a creation that almost made me nauseous again.
The shampoo was a standard bland generic blue liquid, almost fluorescent. As I rubbed it into my long hair I began the dissection of the morning’s events. Too much didn’t match.
Davis had been a Board member for decades, chosen after a long and arduous process that had every eligible member of the Pride chomping at the bit to prove him or herself worthy. Openings didn’t come too often and it was a job that held such a high level of responsibility that Board members didn’t work—they had too much to do. But Davis threw it all away... For what? I wasn’t buying the accidental death theory despite what I had said at the Gathering. He had set out to kill Ruth and had succeeded. But why?
“Why what?” Bran began to rub my back, spreading out a new layer of soapy bubbles. The smell of peppermint rose up to cover our bodies. “You were thinking out loud.”
I shifted my muscles, wincing as they protested. It had been a rough few days. “Davis. I don’t know why he did it.”
He moved to massage my shoulders and neck, rubbing the heated skin. “He was pissed that she gave you the files. He’s somehow involved with the killer.”
“Somehow.” I closed my eyes as the steam drifted up and over us. “But it’s not him. The scent, it’s not the same. Not even close.”
“Which makes it hard to drag him into court,” Bran said in my right ear. “It’s a bit difficult to make your case on the fact that his fur doesn’t smell the same.”
“And neither does Langley.” Putting my hands on the tiled walls, I let out a sigh as the rubbing continued down my back. Bran’s fingers paused for a second at the scars then proceeded to lightly brush across the puckered and injured skin. “This okay?”
“Yes. Feels great.” I sighed my appreciation as he continued his gentle touching. “It’s a relative of his, somehow. Imagine one of those shows where they show the DNA readings and say that it’s a brother or son or something.”
“But there aren’t any children. None that we know of, to be fair.” Bran moved his hands off. “Pass the shampoo, please? I’m pretty rancid myself.”
“Right.” I handed the bottle back over my right shoulder. “Having children out of the Pride is very frowned upon.”
“Define ‘very.’” Bran huffed and spat as the hot water splashed over my head. “Dang, you’re short.”
“Didn’t seem to matter to you before.” I tilted my head back to catch some of the water while he reached over and adjusted the showerhead.
“Horizontally is a whole different matter,” he murmured into my ear.
I sighed, pushing my mind back to work. “His wife is sworn to report any birth, even a miscarriage, to the Board. That way they can track the bloodlines and make sure that no one marries too close to each other.”
“Ah, the second cousin story.” He coughed. “Excuse me. So if you don’t report it, what happens?”
“You get found out eventually.” Stepping forward, I pulled my hair around to my front, squeezing some of the water out. “It’s something you can’t really keep secret. Imagine your family, a huge family of hundreds of people, and trying to keep your pregnancy a secret. Just doesn’t happen.”
“And what about half-breeds?” A stream of water shot over my left shoulder. “Sorry.”
“No prob.” I tilted my face upward, letting the hot water run over my face and neck. “It’s not done.”
“Seriously?” Bran reached past me, turning the hot water dial. “A little hotter okay?”
“Sure. Helping me get rid of these muscles kinks.” I rotated my shoulders, feeling the tension begin to lift. “Actually, it’s not done because it’s impossible. A Felis doesn’t have the ability to impregnate or be impregnated by a regular human.”
“Oh.” There was a slight trace of either disappointment or relief in his voice, I couldn’t tell.
I laughed quietly. “No offence. It’s just that it’s never happened before, ever—no one knows if it’s a genetic thing or what. We haven’t been able to access the science to find out the exact reason behind it but there hasn’t ever been one to date. That’s why we allow family members to marry outside of the Pride, but it’s a huge gap for them to live with. They can’t bring their mates to the Farm, can’t ever have kits or really participate in the daily life. It’s too tough.” I lifted up one foot then the other to flex my leg muscles. “That’s why most Felis stay in the circle. It’s just too much for most people to deal with.”
“So how is Davis connected to Langley and through him to the killer?” Bran reached around me, turning the large silver knobs. “You done?”
“Done and ready for a nap.” I yawned as the water disappeared, swirling down around our feet. “Let me sleep on it.”
“No problem.” He stepped out of the shower stall, grabbing a white fluffy towel. Gesturing me forward, he wrapped it around me and rubbed my arms. “Feeling better?”
“Totally.” Standing up on my tiptoes, I kissed him. “It’s been a bad few days.”
“Well, I’d like to think not totally.” Bran grinned and picked up a second towel. “I won’t bother setting the alarm, it’d be too annoying.” His arms went around me again. “And, for the record I find your snoring very attractive.”
Chapter 14
I woke up to see Jazz nose-to-nose with me, a line of drool running from her lower lip to the comforter tucked under my chin.
“Thanks.” Extracting a hand from under the blanket, I poked the slim feline. “Now if you don’t mind...”
She stood, stretched her lanky frame in every direction possible then strutted off over the bed—making sure to hit every sore spot on my body as well as tromping over Bran’s back and legs.
“Ugh.” he moaned into the pillow.
“Be thankful you weren’t sleeping on your back.” Rolling out of bed, I checked the clock. “Almost four o’clock.”
“Morning or evening?” The mumbled response came.
“Evening. Afternoon. Whatever.” I opened one of the three old oaken wardrobes. “I might have to steal some of your clothing today.”
“Please do so.” Rolling onto his back, he yawned, stretching his arms out to their full length. “We can go shopping later on or if you want, we can just buy online and have it delivered.”
I nodded, inspecting his clothing. Finally I settled on a pair of jeans, thankfully close enough to my size it wouldn’t make a difference. The white dress shirt was snug, but not too tight.
“
I like you in my clothes.” Bran leered as he swung his feet around, sitting up. “Even more when you go commando.”
My face scrunched up. “I’m not happy about it. Trust me, it’s more of an annoyance for us women than you guys.”
“I doubt that.” Standing, he arched back, letting out a loud yawn. “Especially those of us who have a lot to lose in that zipper, if you catch my drift.”
I turned, pursing my lips as I drew my eyes down his naked body. “Oh, I think you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Ooh...” Bran mimicked being stabbed in the chest. “You know how to hurt a guy.”
“You have no idea.” Rolling up the sleeves of the shirt, I padded barefoot around the corner toward the kitchen. “Tea and toast sound good?”
“No Chinese left?”
“I doubt it.” Opening the refrigerator, I glanced around the shelves. “Stocked nicely, I must admit.”
“Thanks. Have a full list delivered every two weeks.” Bran appeared at the marble island, tugging at a dark blue t-shirt with some obscure logo on it.
The phone rang. Bran scrambled for it, hopping over Jazz who instinctively lay down directly in his path.
“Hello?” His face went from playful to serious in a second. “Yes, she’s here.”
Passing me the phone, he mouthed ‘Jess’ with a scowl. I put the phone to my ear. “Reb here.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about your house?” Jess’s voice was gravelly voice.
“Because you didn’t ask. And it wasn’t pertinent to my visit.” I looked blankly at a piece of kitchen hardware on the counter, something that could have been straight off the International Space Station by the number of buttons, switches and settings. Bran smiled, tapping the counter.
“I’ll do it.” He waved me toward the sofa before beginning some mystical sequence of loading the machine with water and tea bags.
“Davis wants to talk to you.” Jess rumbled. “He’s down at St Joseph’s Hospital.”
“He’s alive?” I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice.
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