by Tara Rose
The top floors of the hotel were visible from this street. It perched on the slope rising above Apache Street, overlooking its only competition, the Shady Pines Motel. The House of Chang, the only place in town to get Chinese food, and Mystic Ridge Enterprises, the sheep ranch run by Pedro and Mateo Alvarado, was also on that street.
Knox chuckled as he always did when he thought about the mix of businesses so close together. No location in this town was physically separated by social status or the bottom line. Establishments were thrown together, right next to each other. It was a true melting pot, and one of many reasons why he loved calling it home.
The other peak, Sleepy Cat Peak, was so named for the legend. Knox always enjoyed wandering downtown to Juniper Street where Mason Ruiz had a tent set up on most days. He was the head of the Legend of Sleepy Cat Peak society in town, and he and his family sat in that tent, every day, all day, no matter the weather, handing out literature that explained the legend, and selling merchandise with its logo on it.
Knox found the legend fascinating, and one of the reasons he enjoyed going to Doli’s was to sit at the counter and talk to her about it. Doli and Mason had been friends all their lives, and she was one of the legend’s most steadfast supporters.
The legend had started when one of Mason’s Ute ancestors claimed he’d seen a cougar come down from the mountain and change into a man. The cougar had formed the snow along the mountain’s western slope, and because the snow had melted early and woken the cat from its winter slumber before it should have, the town would suffer ill fortune that year.
There was more to the legend that had to do with shapeshifters, and which Doli had hinted more than once also had to do with Mason and his current family members, but Knox never had enough time to sit and talk to her for the hours she said it would take to explain all of it. And if you asked Mason a direct question about shapeshifters, he changed the subject, which Knox found fascinating since it was clear that his ancestor had supposedly seen one.
The bell over the door clanged as he pushed it open and Doli glanced up to smile at him. Her warm, dark eyes distracted from the missing teeth and weathered face, giving off an aura of comfort and hospitality. It was impossible not to love her on sight. When she spoke, it was in a soft voice that instantly put everyone at ease. Knox couldn’t remember a time when he’d seen Doli angry or flustered.
He slipped into one of the only empty stools at the counter, nodding at people on either side that he knew by name or face. Doli placed a glass of water and a can of Diet Pepsi in front of him. He’d been coming here so long that she never bothered to ask anymore. “What’ll it be today, Knox? The tuna fish or the egg salad?” She leaned close and lowered her voice. “Alan is working today.”
Alan Kirkland was a cook who worked part time for Doli, and he collected online girlfriends that he was forever fighting with via his cell phone. It happened so often that now Doli simply warned her regular customers when he was on duty. If they ordered anything that Alan had to grill, they knew they risked having it burned to a crisp because he spent most of his time talking or texting. But Doli would no sooner fire him than she would cut off a finger. She was too kind.
“In that case, I’ll have the tuna fish, and I think tomato soup as well. It’s a bit chilly out there.”
“It sure is. Coming right up.”
Knox glanced around the diner, and when he spotted Maverick Orantes with Felicity Featherstone and a man he didn’t recognize, he waited until Maverick caught his eye and then waved.
A huge grin split Maverick’s face, and he motioned him over. “Knox, come sit with us.”
Knox told Doli where he was going, and then he slid next to Maverick, shaking his hand. Maverick was Dalton Metcalf’s cousin, and Knox had met him when Maverick first moved to Passion Peak from Boulder, about four years ago. Knox reached across the table and extended his hand toward the blond, blue-eyed stranger. “Knox Parkwood.”
“Kane Easton.”
His grip was firm, but not overdone like he had to prove something. Knox liked that. “Nice to meet you.”
Felicity smiled at him, her big brown eyes full of light. “You’re Phil’s cousin, right?”
“Yes, I am.” Was she with Kane or Maverick? Knox was so out of the dating loop in this town it was ridiculous, but he knew that Felicity was Eve’s best friend. Phil talked about her and Eve doing things together all the time.
“Eve and I were talking about wedding plans last night. You’re in it, right?”
“Yes. I’m the best man.”
“She asked me to be her maid of honor, but I told her she needs to set the date before I agree to be. There’s too much to do.”
Knox smiled. “Don’t hold your breath on that one. If it were up to Phil they’d simply go to the courthouse and have it done with, but Eve has to consult star charts or something before she’ll settle on a date.”
Felicity laughed. “It’s not that bad. She’s just a bit gun shy still.”
“That’s understandable. She’s been through a lot.” Knox didn’t know everything that had happened to Eve at the hands of her ex-husband, but he knew enough to know that the girl had every reason to be wary of men. Knox had never seen Phil so happy as the day that Eve agreed to marry him.
Felicity nodded and her expression grew serious. “Yes, she has. But she’s so happy now that I know Phil is right for her.”
“I agree. They’re good together.” The sudden stab of jealousy coursing through Knox’s body surprised him. It wasn’t that he had a thing for Eve, although she certainly was a vivacious and beautiful woman. It was more that he wondered if he’d ever find what his cousin had, or what these three at the table had. He wasn’t entirely sure of their arrangement, but the aura at the table suggested both men were with Felicity.
He glanced at Maverick. “So, what’s new in town? I’m out of the gossip loop.”
Maverick grinned. “You heard about Trace Coleman, right?”
Why was he grinning? It was his uncle that had been caught on Nash’s property. Didn’t he know that yet? “I heard the FBI is building a case against him.”
“And you have Kane to thank for that.”
“That’s why I came to town,” said Kane. “To out him. He stole money and property from my grandmother in Connecticut.”
“Are you serious?”
“Quite.”
Doli brought over his soup and sandwich, and then asked if anyone at the table needed anything else. She cleared away their plates and Knox took a bite of his tuna fish. He would have preferred a juicy cheeseburger, but only if Doli had been cooking them today.
“Tell him the whole story, Kane,” said Maverick. “You’ll love this, Knox.”
“He convinced my grandmother that demons held the spirit of her dead husband captive, and they would only be appeased if she allowed Trace to keep the stocks hidden behind the walls of her home.”
“No shit?”
“No shit. My grandfather hid things of value in his home during the Depression like a lot of people did during that time. My family is very well-known and connected back east, and Trace Coleman has made a career out of targeting people like that.”
Knox swallowed the food in his mouth. “But it’s over now, right?” He cut his gaze toward Maverick. “I heard they caught him.”
“It’s over. You did hear about my uncle Leland, didn’t you?” asked Maverick.
Knox nodded, unsure whether to tell Maverick that it had been Nash who had told him.
“He tried to help two of Trace’s film crew break into the abandoned mine shaft on Nash’s property. They were looking for jewelry or money that Nash’s grandfather, my uncle’s father, Carma Mandanici’s great-uncle and Jason Monroe’s grandfather have hidden in homes and mine shafts all over town.”
“Is he in jail?” Nash hadn’t said, and Knox hadn’t asked. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard rumors of Mafia connections and money being all mixed up with several families in Pas
sion Peak, but he’d never paid too much attention to them. Every family had its skeletons, after all.
Maverick shook his head. “No. He’s too powerful for that. But he’ll have a legal mess on his hands for years with all the possible charges the FBI is considering filing. They think he’s been in league with Trace for years, and not only in Passion Peak. I don’t know if that’s true, but it’ll be up to him now to prove otherwise.”
Knox took a sip of his soup and tried not to spill it all over his shirt like he usually did when he ate it. “Where does that leave you? Don’t you work for him?”
Maverick shook his head. “Not anymore. I quit. And Dalton moved off the estate.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” From what little Maverick and Dalton had told him over the years, Leland ran everything. Dalton had a trust fund and his own business. He owned The Black Whip, an upscale restaurant and bar on Cheyenne Boulevard, just down the street from Indulgence. He’d extricated himself from the Metcalf businesses a long time ago. “Are you looking for other work?”
“Already found it. Wes Danbury hired me to do IT work for Pacos Farms.”
“That’s wonderful.” Must be nice to have rich friends who just handed you jobs when yours went belly up. Wes Danbury’s family owned an alpaca ranch on the southwest end of town, and Wes was another trust-fund baby who worked because he wanted to, not because he had to. He did IT for Notus, the power company that owned and operated the wind turbines north of Passion Peak and in other parts of the country.
Maverick glanced at Kane and Felicity in turn, and then he leaned close and lowered his voice. “Knox, you should ask Wes about sending some business your way. I’m sure he would.”
“Thanks.” Knox resisted the urge to punch Maverick in the chops. Did he have to say that here, in front of both a man Knox had just met and Eve’s best friend? It made him sound like a charity case, for God’s sake. “I appreciate that.” Time to change the subject and get the focus off him. “Kane, are you in town for good, or will you be returning to Connecticut?”
Kane placed his arm around Felicity’s shoulder and grinned. “I’m here for good.”
Well, at least Knox’s instincts had been right about that. But to add insult to injury, Maverick reached across the table and took one of Felicity’s hands. The look she gave both men made Knox lose his appetite. “We’re both her Doms, now.”
Knox pushed away the rest of his food and glanced around for Doli. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.” Doli caught his eye and he waved her over. “I have lots of work to do this afternoon, Doli. Can I trouble you to box this up to go?”
“It’s no trouble, Knox.”
Doli picked up his plate and bowl, and Knox rose. “It was nice talking to you three. Catch you later.”
He didn’t wait to hear what any of them said. He forced a smile to his face, paid for his lunch, thanked Doli again, and carried his paper bag back to his garage. When he unlocked the side door and raised the main one again, he put the bag in the fridge. No sense in wasting food, but right now he couldn’t eat the rest of it or he’d puke.
He wasn’t angry at Maverick, Kane, or Felicity. He wasn’t angry at anyone. He was simply frustrated. Frustrated by his lack of a life, his lack of sex in that life, and his inability to catch a break. When Maverick had said he and Kane were Felicity’s Doms, that had been the last straw.
It wasn’t that Knox was part of the lifestyle and couldn’t find a sub. He had so little experience with BDSM that he’d never pretend to know what he was doing or talking about with respect to it. But at this point, he’d simply take a date, let alone a play session at Indulgence or even sex. It was difficult not to feel envy for his friends, when all around him it appeared that the men of Passion Peak were engaging in kinky sex with beautiful women. All except him.
Knox glanced around the inside of the garage. This was his life. Working on others’ cars and staring at a kick-ass mural that only he admired. He lived vicariously through others’ lives, and right now, it felt as though he always would.
Chapter Five
Eve had just finished giving Rowena Whitney’s cat Snowball her yearly vaccinations when her cell phone buzzed. She kept it in the pocket of her smock during the workday at the Passion Peak Animal Clinic, but made sure it was on vibrate. Her boss, Dr. Ted Tabor, would have preferred she keep it in her locker, but Eve hated to miss a call from Phil because he usually had to sneak them in from work whenever he could, and she never knew when he’d be able to call her again until his shift was over.
“It’s okay,” said Rowena, a glint in her green eyes. “Answer it. I won’t tell.”
Eve smiled at Rowena and pulled the phone out of her pocket. “It’s only a text. This’ll just take a second.” Phil had sent her a text saying he’d invited Knox over for dinner that night. Eve texted back asking if he wanted her to make something special, and by the time she’d given Rowena instructions on side effects to watch for in Snowball, Phil had texted back to say he was ordering food from The Black Whip and would pick it up on his way home.
“Wow.” Eve hadn’t meant to say it out loud. She stuffed the phone back into her pocket and stroked Snowball’s white fur while Rowena held her.
“Wow what? Or shouldn’t I ask?”
Eve had always liked Rowena. They’d been in the same grade, along with Carma Mandanici, who was Rowena’s best friend. She and Carma had both been in Rowena’s wedding when she’d finally gotten together with Van Whitney. The two had danced around a relationship through most of high school. Eve swore the entire town celebrated when the two finally tied the knot. “Phil invited his cousin over for dinner.”
“And why is that a ‘wow’ moment?”
Eve chuckled as she typed information into the computer for Rowena’s receipt. “It’s not. I was impressed that Phil is bringing over food from The Black Whip.”
“Who is your fiancé trying to impress? You, or his cousin?”
Eve handed Rowena the receipt from the printer. “Neither one. I think he’s just being nice.”
“I like Knox, but I feel kind of sorry for him. Van says he does great work, but he never goes out, and he always looks so lonely when I see him around town.”
Eve frowned while she rubbed Snowball under the chin the way she knew the cat liked it. “I know what you mean. I don’t know him very well, so I’m glad Phil invited him over. He and Phil are close—more like brothers than cousins.”
“Carma and her cousin Annalise are like that. She was here in July, and it was amazing to watch them together. It was like they’d never been apart. I don’t feel that close to any of my siblings, even, let alone a cousin.”
Eve laughed and walked Rowena out to the waiting room. Rowena’s siblings weren’t exactly well-loved by others, so Eve understood what she meant. After Rowena left, Eve glanced at the number of patients still waiting, and tried not to sigh out loud. This was going to be a very long day.
She was a vet tech for Dr. Tabor, who owned the Passion Peak Animal Clinic, but her duties included playing receptionist as well whenever Vicki Gladish was off, which was more often than should be allowed. But Vicki’s mother, Rosanne, was a councilwoman. She’d been instrumental in fighting for rezoning on Shoshone Road years ago which had allowed the clinic to stay here. Dr. Tabor had estimated it would have cost him close to a million dollars to build a new clinic if the street had been zoned strictly residential, as many residents had tried to have done. Consequently, he gave Vicki a lot of leeway in taking days off, even when her excuses were half-assed.
There were three patients waiting that she could take care of, so she called the first of them back, but her mind was on Phil’s cousin, Knox. He’d been two grades ahead of her and Rowena in school, and was one of those invisible kids that it had been easy to overlook. Eve had honestly been surprised to realize that, despite their close physical appearance, he and Phil were actually related.
Whereas Phil was loud and projected an aura of easy confide
nce, Knox always looked slightly uncomfortable, as though he wasn’t quite sure what to say or do. He was never unkind to her—quite the opposite. But it was like pulling teeth to talk to him, and whenever she did, she got the distinct impression he’d be just as happy alone.
Eve resolved to make an effort this evening to get Knox to open up about himself. She was marrying Phil, and that meant she was marrying his family as well. She wanted to get to know Knox better because the Parkwoods were good people. Eve wouldn’t be treated the way she’d been by Darrin and his pathetic excuse for a family. If she needed to make some extra effort to meet Knox halfway, then she would gladly do so. And besides, if Phil’s teasing were more than that, she’d get to know Knox very well one day.
Eve swallowed hard. It was only dinner, right? Surely if Phil had invited his cousin over to play, he’d have warned her ahead of time, wouldn’t he? Suddenly she wasn’t so sure. She would text him back as soon as possible and simply ask. If it earned her a spanking, well, then so be it.
* * * *
Phil was buried in paperwork all morning, so when Tommy came into the squad room and perched his rather large ass on the edge of Phil’s desk, what would normally be an annoyance was actually a relief. “What’s up?”
Tommy flipped open his notebook and Phil chuckled. He looked just like a cop on TV when he did that, and they all laughed at him for using it, but he didn’t seem to give a shit. Either that or he knew they were mocking him, and he did it simply to piss them off. That was Tommy, in a nutshell. “That car your cousin called about? It matches the description of a stolen vehicle in Rawlins.”
Phil pushed away from his keyboard away and took a deep breath. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. “Stolen?”
“Yeah, as in it doesn’t belong to Clay Martin. A medium-blue Grand Am that belonged to a woman who was found dead last night in her apartment is missing.”
“Dead how?”
“Raped and strangled.”
Phil stared at Tommy, wishing like hell the fucking room would stop spinning.