by Vella Day
Selena needed more than luck. She needed an antidote to matedom, not that there was such a thing. Flutters beat inside her stomach and her palms dampened. Shit. Being near Jackson for any length of time would shred all of her resolve, but she couldn’t ask for a new partner without raising suspicion.
What would help right now would be some sort of order, and that meant doing her job. Creating a list of possible suspects seemed to be a good place to start.
For the next thirty minutes, she worked at ignoring him and doing her work. Once she finished compiling the names, she studied them. Not all were cheetah teens, but many were. Poverty, coupled with too much drinking, often led to lawlessness in her Clan. Thankfully, once Storm took over at Alpha, he and her dad had worked together to bring in some reform.
“What do you need me to do?” Jackson asked suddenly materializing in front of her, shocking her heart.
Damn man seemed to possess the talent of instantly transporting from one place to another. She should have sensed he was near. Clearly, her equilibrium was off.
What she wanted to tell him was that he should let her deal with this crime on her own, but that wasn’t a viable option. “I’ve made a list of possible suspects, and a second one of a few kids who might be willing to tell us what they know.”
“Nice. Have you spoken with Storm?”
“Not yet. He hasn’t been the cheetah’s Alpha for very long and probably doesn’t know everyone. I plan to contact the Alphas of the other two clans, though, and ask for their help.”
Jackson looked off to the side, his demeanor serious. In the past, when he stopped by to talk, he would make some suggestive remark, but this time, he seemed intent on finding the thieves, and that worked for her.
“Wasn’t Cheyenne’s dad the previous Alpha?”
She liked the way his mind worked. “Yes. In fact, he was my next call. If he’s willing to meet with us, it might be worth our while to hear his theory. Are you free to come along?” Her stupid pulse jacked up at the thought of being in the cruiser with him. Logic told her this reaction was ridiculous and uncalled for, but there didn’t seem to be anything she could do about it.
“If you want.”
Why wasn’t he crawling all over this? All of a sudden Jackson was a bit distant. Oh, shit. Maybe he was having second thoughts. She’d heard stories about how one mate would turn down the chance to be with the other if they didn’t want a future with him or her. Just because the inner beasts yearned to be together didn’t mean the human parts did. Selena couldn’t imagine the horror of spending her life with this intense sexual need and not even liking the person.
She shouldn’t worry about it because she had no desire to be with any male—regardless of how much her cheetah wanted him.
Selena picked up the phone. “I’ll call Leonard and see what he says.”
“Leonard?”
“Sorry. That’s Cheyenne’s dad.”
Jackson rapped his knuckles on her desk. “Keep me in the loop.”
As if she wouldn’t? He turned and strode toward his desk. Confused, Selena made sure he was seated before dialing Leonard’s number. As she waited for him to pick up, she glanced over at her mate who seemed completely focused on something else—and for the first time ever, that something wasn’t her.
When Leo answered, Selena explained about the theft. “You have any ideas who might be responsible?”
“You thinking it’s one of ours?” He didn’t sound defensive, which made her job easier.
“Just covering all my bases.”
“How about I ask around and see what I can learn. I’ll call you back.”
“Thanks, Leonard.”
She disconnected, and her stomach tumbled. As much as she didn’t want Jackson’s attention, his lack of interest was causing her as much concern. Before she could dwell on her new dilemma, Dram, a fellow officer, strode over and dropped a flash drive on her desk. It appeared to be the one from the robbery.
“Chris came looking for you, but I guess your shift hadn’t started. He asked me to give this to you when you came in. He’s keyed it up to the actual time of the robbery. Since you know so many people, you might recognize one of the voices.”
She looked up and smiled. “I’ll give it a try.”
When Dram left, she plugged the drive into her computer. Last year, after she’d identified a robber’s voice, Dram had caught the man. While cheetahs had acute hearing like the rest of the shifter world, it was their audio discriminatory abilities that were better than most. She hoped she’d be as lucky this time. Once the tape started, Selena closed her eyes to block out all distractions, and instantly, the image of Jackson licking her nipples shot to the forefront of her mind. She snapped her eyes open and glanced his way, almost feeling his gaze on her. Wrong. His head was down and he was typing away. Even when he wasn’t trying to distract her, he was.
Once more, she focused on the voices. While the two young men sounded like they were talking underwater, one of the men suddenly stuttered. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to give her a clue who it might be—Greg Hepner and his cousin, David. One was a junior in high school and the other a senior. Christ. They’d been trouble from the day they were born. Their biggest problem was that they never wanted to be in their human form, preferring to romp and hunt as cheetahs. Working hard wasn’t their forte. Damn.
While she wanted to question them, no telling where they’d be on a Saturday night—up to no good, most likely. To save time, she called Leo back.
“I’m not that fast,” he said without even a hello.
She chuckled. “Just need some info. Do the Hepner cousins drive scooters?”
“They do.”
“Do you have any idea where they might be now?”
He hesitated for a bit. “You could try the bowling alley.”
Yuk. That was where she’d conducted the sting operation a few months back. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
“They’re minors, you know.”
That was a problem. If she arrested them and they stood trial, they’d go to juvie, a place that was already overcrowded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Once she disconnected, she looked up at Jackson. You can do this.
Chapter Five
Jackson was about to burst. For the last hour and a half, he’d seen Selena glance up at him from her desk time and time again, and as much as he wanted to blurt out that being mates was inevitable, he wanted to give her space. Last night when he’d walked away from her, he’d had to use all of his resolve not to make love with her again.
While his excuse of needing to sew the buttons on his uniform had been true, he probably should have asked her to help as he’d done a crappy job. In his defense, the all-night pharmacy hadn’t had a big selection of sewing kits.
Selena pushed back her chair and secured her weapon in her holster. Must be show time.
Not wanting to appear eager, he waited for her to approach. With her gaze averted, she walked toward him. From the way she was holding her shoulders so stiffly, she appeared to be suffering as much as he was.
“Got a lead,” she said, though her tone held little excitement. Perhaps the thieves were people she knew.
Regardless, he was happy she’d found a clue so fast. This case was important to her. “Want me to come with you?”
“We are partners.”
He wasn’t sure how to interpret her comment, but he wasn’t going to question her. He gathered his jacket and weapon and followed her out.
“I trust Cheyenne’s father found something?” They seemed to be okay when talking about work.
“Actually, I listened to the video of the robbery and identified one of the voices.” She then explained about confirming her suspicion with the former Alpha of her Clan.
“Fantastic.” For him it would have been difficult to arrest kids he knew.
“I’ll drive since I know the area,” she said.
Once more, he didn’t argue. His goal was merely
to keep things on an even keel. Even after they arrived at the bowling alley, he didn’t question why they were there as it was her show.
“Leonard Snow said the boys often come here on the weekends.”
“That’s a good thing. They can’t cause much trouble there.”
“Let’s hope.”
Inside, Selena nodded toward the two skinny kids on lane four. “How about letting me speak with them first?”
“Sure. I’m here as backup.”
Her brows rose. He’d said the same thing that fateful night they’d first met. As she headed toward the boys, he kept a close eye on her. While he couldn’t hear the exchange, the kids looked rather uncomfortable with her questions. To his surprise, when she stepped from the lane, they followed her.
“Boys, this is Officer Kenner. One false move, and he’ll be on you like white on rice.”
Seriously? Did she believe that line would work?
“Yes, m…ma’am.”
Apparently it did. As much as he wanted to ask her what she’d said to the boys, now wasn’t the time. He escorted them outside and placed them in the back of the cruiser, happy they didn’t shift and bolt. Cheetahs might be faster than panthers, but he had endurance and size on his side.
With the doors now locked, they wouldn’t be going anywhere. Jackson could definitely smell their fear, possibly because the kids could detect he was some kind of shifter. They’d assume he was another cheetah, as he and Cord were the only panthers in town.
At the station, when Selena led them to a holding cell, Jackson remained off to the side, curious how she was going to handle their arrest since the boys were underage.
“I’ll call your folks and let them know what’s going to happen to you,” she said in a very matter-of-fact tone.
“We have most of the money left,” the younger of the two said. “If we give it to Mr. Kraft, can you let us go?” His voice shook as he bounced a leg up and down.
These poor kids were victims of their environment and Jackson nearly caved by offering to pay the remained of what they’d stolen from the owner, but if he bailed them out, they’d never learn. It was one of the major lessons his father had taught him and his siblings—that of personal responsibility. Selena glanced over at him, and when she shook her head, a shiver tripped up his spine. Though impossible, it was as if she’d read his mind.
“I wish it were that simple,” she explained to the young men. “You’ll have to pay back all of it and do community service. Sit tight, and I’ll be right back after I’ve called your folks.”
As soon as she stepped from the holding cells, a slight smile captured her lips.
“Care to share how you took down those two most-wanted criminals?” he asked slipping along side of her.
For the first time in a long time, she smiled, and his heart pinged. “As soon as I told them I had them on video tape, they folded.”
“Did they forget they had on masks?”
“Maybe, but I also mentioned the camera on the outside caught the license plate numbers of the scooters and that we looked up their names.”
“I didn’t know Kraft had cameras on the outside.”
“He didn’t.”
She was clever. He had to give her credit. She seemed to understand the juvenile mind well. “So what happens now?”
Her shoulders sagged as if the next leg of the journey would be hard. “I’ll call the parents and have them pick up the boys. I’m going to offer them either juvenile detention or fifty hours of community service. They’ll have to pay back Mr. Kraft either way.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“I thought so. I’ll make the calls.”
In Baltimore, a judge would be the one to decide the punishment and not the officer, but Hidden Hills was a smaller community. Perhaps because the boys were from her Clan, she was able to pull some strings.
Jackson had wanted to congratulate her, but he had a plan on how to win her over, and being overly eager wasn’t part of it.
An hour later, the boys had been processed and released to their parents. It was nearly seven, and Jackson wondered if she was interested in having dinner with him. They had an hour break each night to eat. If the conversation heated up and they spent too much time out, they could make it up by staying later.
He stepped up to her desk. “I was wondering if you wanted to catch a bite to eat?”
She stilled for a moment, as if she hadn’t expected his request or desired it. After all, she’d insisted he not ever ask her out again. “Where do you have in mind?”
His dick stiffened at her positive response. Most likely she was hungry and thought it would look rude to turn him down and then go out on her own. “You pick.”
“How about Rough Riders?”
“I’ve never been, but I’m game for anything.” As long as I can be with you.
She smiled once more and he hoped this new cheerful Selena would be a common occurrence.
“Then you’re in for a treat.”
He’d be in for a treat because he could learn more about the woman he was growing very fond of. His panther side was ready to claim her, but his human half needed to win her heart first.
“How about I drive?” he offered. A man could only handle a woman being in charge for so long.
This time she chuckled. “How about we walk? It’s only four blocks from here.”
Damn. If he didn’t stop making tactical errors, she’d never want him.
The night was balmy, and as they strolled toward the restaurant, a wave of contentment descended. This was what life could be like if Selena accepted him.
Once inside the rustic place, the hostess led them to a corner booth, which was cozy and romantic. Because his senses seemed to misfire whenever he was near her, he wasn’t able to detect if the intimate setting made her uncomfortable or not, and that concerned him.
The waiter rushed right over. “Hi, Selena,” he said. “What will you have?”
The hairs on Jackson’s neck rose, but when she barely glanced at the young man, he relaxed.
“I’ll have coffee. Black.”
“Ditto,” Jackson said.
As soon as the server left, Selena leaned back in her seat. “So, why did you come to Hidden Hills?”
He had wondered when she’d get around to asking and was pleased she wanted to know. Fortunately, the question held no bitterness, only interest. “Cord seemed really content here, and I guess I wanted that peace of mind, too.” There was no need to mention how he’d let a drug dealer slip through his fingers, and as a result a young man had died. Jackson’s guilt level had finally reached his limit.
“What did your family think about your move to North Carolina?”
He winced. “My family is very supportive, and while my dad never complained, he loved to brag how one of his sons worked for the DEA. If he’d had a say in the matter, he’d rather have me work for the government and live near home.”
Her brows rose and then her shoulders sagged. He bet she wished she’d had a supportive father. Having her learn about his rather idyllic upbringing might backfire, but he didn’t want to lie to her.
“How many siblings do you have?” she asked.
She had none. His purpose in talking about his life was to show her they had things in common, yet at the moment the gap was widening. Having extremely wealthy parents didn’t help either. “Three brothers and two sisters, and every one of them is ambitious, just like my dad.”
“That must be nice to be surrounded by so many siblings.”
“It was. What about you? Any brothers and sisters?” In theory, he knew nothing about her.
“No. My dad left when I was one.”
Jackson didn’t believe anything he said would help. “I’m sorry. That had to be tough.”
“It was, but my mom suffered the most.”
Dwelling on negative thoughts wouldn’t bring them closer and asking too many questions might tip her off that he’d checked up on her. “Tell
me a good memory.”
“A good one, huh?” She leaned back, glanced at the ceiling for a second then smiled. “I was maybe twelve and had gone hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains when out from behind a tree this baby deer appears. It couldn’t have been more than a month or so old. I looked around for its momma, but I couldn’t see her, so I shifted into my cheetah form.”
“That didn’t scare the poor thing?” He found that when he shifted, the smaller animals ran.
“To my delight, no. The lost fawn crossed the river separating us. We ended up playing for at least an hour.” Selena glanced to the side as if she were reliving that moment.
“Then what happened?”
She shrugged. “The fawn must have heard her mother and left. But during that time, I felt a strong connection with her, almost as if we’d always been friends.”
Selena acted as if connecting with anyone was a rarity. “It sounds wonderful.”
“It was. What about you? What was your happiest moment?”
“Finding you.”
Heat colored her cheeks. “Jackson, please. Can we not talk about the present? Or us?”
He chuckled. “For tonight, we’ll stick to the past, though from what you’ve said, it wasn’t all that great.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Wanting to salvage dinner, he needed her to understand that his parents weren’t so different from hers after all. “Just so you know, my father grew up poor, too.”
“Really?”
“Yes, from the age of sixteen, he worked at a small novelty store in Washington, DC, where he earned minimum wage. Since he couldn’t afford schooling, he remained there, working seven days a week. His mom passed away suddenly when he was eighteen, leaving him and his dad to fend for themselves. When my father was just twenty-five, the owners were killed in a tragic accident. The owners’ elderly parents said they’d give him fifty percent of the profits if he ran the store.”
“That was generous of them.”
“It was, but without my father, they would have made nothing, as he was the only one who understood the ins and outs of the place.”