“Sorry.” Eban appeared contrite. “Habit.”
“An annoying one,” William stated, knocking shoulders with the other shifter before closing the door behind him. He smacked the hood of the car, letting Westram know it was okay to move on.
“Let’s get this done,” Kaiser ordered, striding up the walk.
Cuzco jogged a few steps to catch up. When his alpha stopped a couple of paces away from the door, he nearly slammed into the back of him. He growled under his breath, irritated at his nervousness, then stepped around Alpha Kaiser.
After inhaling deeply, then letting it out through pursed lips, Cuzco hit the intercom button next to Grisham’s apartment number.
A moment later Cuzco heard Grisham’s handsome voice come through the box. “Yes?”
“It’s Cuzco.” He couldn’t seem to stop the slight breathiness to his voice. His anticipation was too great.
“Come on in, babe,” Grisham urged right before the buzz of the door unlocking sounded through the evening stillness.
William beat Cuzco to grabbing the door handle. As he opened it and held it open for him, the beta mouthed, Babe? His dark eyes twinkled, and he grinned broadly.
Blushing, Cuzco ducked his head and hurried through the open door. He couldn’t wait for Beta William to meet his own mate. Cuzco knew he wasn’t the only one who hoped to have the chance to incessantly tease the big alpha male.
Cuzco led the way toward the elevator. Seeing the light indicated it was on the fifth floor and his mate’s apartment was on the third, he turned left. Heading into the stairway, Cuzco started trotting up them.
When Cuzco reached the top of the stairs, he exited and glanced at the nearest apartment number. He figured out which direction, then started in it. Cuzco took another deep breath, trying to get his racing pulse to slow, before knocking on Grisham’s door.
To his surprise, the door creaked open a bit, telling him it hadn’t been latched.
Cuzco’s immediate questions were answered when Grisham called, “Come on in, Cuzco. Head to the right. I’m in the kitchen.”
Cuzco obeyed, pushing the door open and entering a small foyer. Spotting the shoe rack, he toed off his sneakers before padding through the space. His octopus, which enjoyed squeezing in and out of tight spaces, enjoyed the sight of a floor-length shelf full of CDs, books, and DVDs. Not that he ever could, since he was an aquatic animal, but it still appealed to him.
Turning to the right, Cuzco spotted the small dining room table. Two of the chairs had stacks of files resting on them. Another stack was on the floor by the wall.
One thing was for certain, his mate took his work home with him... a lot. Plus, based on the takeout boxes on the table, the man probably wasn’t much of a chef. That was okay because Cuzco loved to cook.
I’ll take ever-so-good care of him.
A counter separated the kitchen space, which was tucked to the right, from the dining area. It wasn’t until Cuzco was further in that he spotted Grisham. His lover was on the far side near the sink, both hands in what appeared to be a double sink. One hand was deep in suds. It seemed Grisham had been washing some dishes.
Looking over his shoulder, Grisham gave Cuzco an abashed smile. “Sorry, babe. Been working a lot and the place was a mess. Got off work later than I’d hoped and—” He paused, shrugging.
Cuzco nodded. “No problem.”
“Come here, and give me a kiss,” Grisham demanded with a grin.
More than happy to do that, Cuzco rounded the bar and headed toward Grisham. His lover half-turned toward him, his wet hand landing on his hip. Cuzco placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close, pressing a light peck to Grisham’s lips.
“Hi,” Cuzco whispered, smiling at his mate, not even minding the wetness that sank into his shirt when Grisham slid his soapy hand under his jacket to palm his waist.
“Hey, babe.” Grisham pecked another kiss to his lips, turning them in the process. In the next instant, he brought up his second hand, revealing he held his gun. “Come on out, guys, and tell me what the fuck you’re doing here,” he demanded, pointing toward where the counter met the wall.
Kaiser appeared and leaned his hip against the bar. His gaze flicked from the gun to Grisham to Cuzco. He offered a wry smile.
“Are you okay, Cuzco?” Kaiser asked.
“Y-Yeah.” Confused, Cuzco clung to Grisham. “What are you doing, Grisham?” He shook his mate a little, but Grisham didn’t lower his weapon. “Why are you, um, p-pointing a g-gun at him?”
“Where are your friends, Kaiser?” Grisham demanded. “I know you’re not alone.”
“William, Eban, join me,” Kaiser ordered, beckoning with one hand. “Do you have any coffee?”
Grisham didn’t respond as Kaiser moved away from the counter and crossed to the table. After moving a pile of files from one of the chairs, Kaiser sat, stretching out his long legs and crossing them at the ankles as he appeared to relax and get comfortable. Eban and William joined him, one of them removing the other pile of files, leaving the final clear chair empty.
“You said you wanted to ask Cuzco questions about us,” Kaiser stated. “I figured you should get the information directly from the source.”
William grinned at Grisham. “You two really do make a cute couple.” He waggled his brows. “We’ll also explain why you have such an instant attraction to Cuzco, and why you have a driving need to protect him.”
Cuzco felt Grisham’s arm tighten a little. Taking a chance, he pressed closer and lifted a hand to his mate’s wrist on the arm that held the gun. He wrapped his fingers around it and pressed down, urging him to lower the weapon.
“Please, Grisham,” Cuzco pleaded. “Please, put it down. They’re here to help.”
“I don’t need the help of criminals, Cuzco,” Grisham stated, his voice hard. He cast a side-eyed glance Cuzco’s way. “And neither do you, babe. These men kidnapped the guys who attacked Solomon.” Returning his focus to Kaiser, he glared. “Isn’t that true? It’s the only explanation for them disappearing so completely. Plus, I overheard you talking about breaking into Armando Whitney’s estate.”
“While you are correct about us kidnapping Jim and Thanos”—Kaiser responded, obviously being blunt—”you are overlooking another option.”
Chapter Six
Grisham did his best to ignore the pressure Cuzco was placing on his arm, but the slender male was deceptively strong. As he’d researched these men’s backgrounds during the course of the day, he’d known something was hinky about them. The idea of them kidnapping Solomon’s attackers had been a long shot... and they’d just confirmed it without batting an eyelash.
Damn. What are these people involved in?
“And what other option would that be?” Grisham asked.
“We detained Jim and Thanos because they were working under Armando Whitney’s orders,” Kaiser told him. “He ordered them to kill Solomon because he helped Armando’s son, Braylon, escape his estate.”
“Escape his estate?” Grisham scowled. “What the hell are you talking about?”
What bullshit is this?
Sighing, Kaiser turned his attention to Cuzco. “This Chinese food smells wonderful. How about we sit and eat, and I will explain just how Armando Whitney is actually making his money.”
Grisham began shaking his head but stopped when Cuzco squeezed his wrist. “Please, listen, Grisham. Things aren’t what they appear.”
Something within Grisham, a sixth sense he always trusted—what he considered his gut—told him Cuzco was telling the truth. There was something weird going on with this group. Slowly, Grisham lowered his Glock.
“I’m keeping this close in case you try something,” Grisham growled. “Now explain why the fuck you think Armando is dirty.”
That certainly wasn’t a rumor going around as far as Grisham could tell, and he’d heard some doozies in his time.
“Where are the plates?” William asked, bouncing up. “Is there enough here
for all of us? Or should I order more?”
“I think you should order more,” Cuzco stated. Nudging Grisham, he offered a smile. “I’m sorry we’re bombarding you, but this is really important.”
“I ordered enough with the plan that I’d have leftovers for a few days,” Grisham began slowly, glancing around at everyone. “There should be enough.”
“Not the way these guys eat,” Cuzco murmured, glancing around at everyone. “Beta William will take care of it.”
“Beta William?” Grisham slid his Glock into the waistband at the back of his jeans as he wrapped his other arm tighter around Cuzco’s waist. “Is that some kind of title?”
“It is,” Kaiser stated. “It means he’s the second-in-command of our merry pod of aquatic shifters.” He smiled, clearly comfortable with the odd shit he was spouting. Kaiser waved toward himself. “And I am the alpha. The leader.” Kaiser pointed at Eban. “This is Head Enforcer Eban. He makes certain all my people stay in line, following both human law and shifter law, so no one finds out about us. If there’s a problem he or one of the other enforcers can’t handle, he lets me know about it.”
“Uhhhhh...” What the hell? “What did you just call yourselves?”
Eban sat there smirking. William was grinning as he made himself completely at home, checking out the cupboards as well as grabbing the coffee. Kaiser, on the other hand, looked like he’d just stepped out of a business fashion magazine.
William laughed as he set a trio of mugs on the table with one hand before filling them from the coffee carafe he held in the other. Glancing over his shoulder, he stated, “Wow, my brother’s trying to make a joke.” He snorted, flashing a grin Kaiser’s way. “Not a good joke, Kai. Merry pod of aquatic shifters? What are we? Whales?”
“A few of us,” Kaiser replied, grinning widely. “Besides, what else would you call our group?”
Straightening, William tilted his head. “Huh.” He shrugged. “Okay. Ya got me there.” William headed back into the kitchen and returned the coffee pot to its place. “So, yeah. We’re paranormals. Shifters to be precise. Most of the people at our resort share our spirit with some kind of aquatic or semi-aquatic animal.” He began ticking off his fingers. “Whales, sharks, octopuses”—he pointed at Cuzco, then continued—”squid, sea turtles, and a number of others.” Still talking, he headed out of the kitchen while pulling his phone from his pocket. “And shifters eat a lot, so I’m gonna order a shit-ton more food.”
Grisham gaped. He just didn’t know how to respond. What the hell were these people talking about? Paranormals? Shifters? What did any of that have to do with Armando?
“Y-You’re not criminals,” Grisham mumbled, trying to process what he’d heard. “You’re crazy.” He turned his focus on Cuzco. “Your bosses are bat-shit crazy.”
Cuzco sighed. “They’re really not. Have a seat.”
When Cuzco urged Grisham toward the dining room table, he was too shocked to resist. He found himself being pushed into a chair by his lover. Glancing between the two men still sitting at the table, he wondered if he should pull out his phone and call a mental hospital.
Except, Grisham didn’t know the number to a mental hospital. Not off-hand, anyway. If he did, what would he say? Grisham had a funny idea that these guys would deny it, leaving him looking like the crazy one.
“Cuzco, have a seat here,” Eban urged, rising from his chair to Grisham’s left. “Touch helps soothe, so I’ve been told.”
Cuzco nodded as he took Eban’s chair, sliding it closer to Grisham in the process. His lover settled a hand on his back, rubbing up and down his spine. Oddly enough, even under the strange circumstances, Grisham felt his pulse slow, then heat for a new reason.
Grisham’s blood began flowing south as tingles erupted over his skin. He gaped at Cuzco, disbelieving his body’s response. Peering into his lover’s eyes, he barely resisted the urge to lean over and kiss him. He did, however, place his left hand on the slenderer man’s thigh and squeeze, so he could enjoy the feel of his muscle through his jeans.
“See, that is one of the side effects of mating with a paranormal,” Kaiser said, cutting into the moment. “You have a heightened sex drive and a need to please your mate... as well as complete your bond.” His smile turned fond, and he waved a hand at Grisham. “Even the human in the pairing is greatly affected.”
Frowning, Grisham turned to stare at the man. “Mating? What the hell is that?”
“Okay, let’s start at the top,” Eban cut in, setting plates, silverware, and napkins on the table. “We are paranormals. We live a long damn time, so Fate grants each of us a mate. A person who can be our perfect complement. The other half of our soul.”
As he talked, Eban began opening containers while Kaiser took the opened ones and began spooning contents onto plates.
“When a shifter meets their mate, they recognize them by scent.” Eban slid one of the loaded plates in front of Grisham. His hard features softened as he explained, “Cuzco didn’t scent you, but Fate has a funny way of dealing with hiccups like that. She obviously made it so your body recognized him, forcing you to eventually seek him out.”
“This isn’t something you can just walk away from,” Kaiser stated, picking up the commentary. He pointed at the way they were touching each other. “You will always crave each other’s touch. Even if you moved three states away, it would probably drive you nuts enough to bring you right back.”
Grisham bowed his head and stared at his plate of food. He picked up his fork. Stabbing it into a piece of sweet and sour chicken, he idly waved it in the air.
“You know you sound nuts, right?”
No way could any of that shit be true he decided as he popped the food into his mouth. His stomach rumbled appreciatively as he chewed the tasty morsel.
“Need proof?”
Grisham nearly choked on his food when William spoke from directly behind him, announcing that he’d returned. Turning in his seat, he glared at the man as he caught his breath. When he could finally speak, he snarled, “Proof? Proof of what?”
William grinned, clearly unrepentant. “That we’re shifters.” Shrugging negligently, he added, “Humans always need proof. It seems to be you all’s thing. Where do you think seeing is believing came from?”
“What? You gonna turn into a shark in my living room or something?”
“I could,” Eban commented. “But shifting while out of water hurts like hell.”
“I was thinking more like this,” William replied, shrugging out of his sports coat to reveal a high end, short-sleeved, button-down shirt. After handing the coat off to Eban, who slung it over the back of a chair, he held out his arm, wiggling his fingers, as he winked. “Don’t freak out now.”
After rolling his eyes, Grisham focused on William’s arm. Shock slammed through him. Right before his eyes, William’s arm turned a brownish-green while it stretched and split, creating two, long, slender appendages.
Grisham’s jaw sagged open as he lunged to his feet. It felt as if wind was roaring between his ears. He couldn’t seem to catch his breath.
“Whoa! Whoa, breathe!”
Grisham heard Eban’s shouted order right as he felt the big man’s arms wrap around him and one of his hands slapped over his mouth. Struggling in the guy’s hold, he tried to tear out of his grip. Cuzco appeared in his line of sight, placing his hands on Grisham’s chest, rubbing up and down.
The scrape of Cuzco’s nails caused tingles to shoot through Grisham, and his focus snapped to his lover.
“Please calm down, Grisham,” Cuzco urged softly. “We told you it was real. We still have so much to tell you.” His expression appeared pained, his features full of concern. “You’re my lover. My mate. And everything will be okay.”
Grisham stilled in Eban’s grip. For a long few seconds, he just stared. Swallowing hard, he nodded.
Surprised to find his throat hurt, Grisham realized it had been him creating the noise. He’d been screaming.
<
br /> Damn. That’s embarrassing.
* * * *
“That’s the way,” Cuzco murmured, feeling Grisham relax beneath his fingertips. “You’re okay.” He glanced beyond Grisham to Eban and asked, “Can you let him go now?”
Eban nodded and removed his hand from over Grisham’s mouth. He rested that hand on Grisham’s shoulder for a moment, waiting. When Grisham did little but stare at Cuzco while panting and swallowing hard, Eban finally released him altogether.
Grisham sagged forward, and Cuzco wrapped him tightly in his arms. The scream of terror his mate had made had caused Cuzco’s heart to thud wildly in his chest. The acrid scent of Grisham’s fear had been even worse.
As Cuzco rubbed up and down Grisham’s back, half supporting his lover’s weight, he noted the slow changes in Grisham’s scent. His mate was calming, and relief filled Cuzco. Nuzzling his temple against the other man’s, he sighed softly.
Finally, Grisham whispered, “Did I really just see that?” His voice sounded hoarse, probably from the hollering he’d been doing. His gaze darted warily toward William before returning to Cuzco.
Some humans just didn’t take learning about paranormals well. It was why most never shared their existence with any but their mate. The pull to bond normally overrode a human’s freak-out.
Like now, thank the gods.
“Yeah,” Cuzco murmured. “Yeah, you saw that.”
“William’s arm.” Grisham shuddered in Cuzco’s hold, tucking his face against Cuzco’s neck. “It was tentacles.”
“Yeah,” Cuzco repeated. “Yeah, it was. He’s a kind of squid.”
“A squid?” Something must have clicked in Grisham’s brain, for his head jerked up. He peered wide-eyed down at Cuzco. “And Eban claimed to be a shark and pointed at you when he said octopus.”
Cuzco nodded. “Eban’s a great white shark shifter, and I share my spirit with a coconut octopus.”
“Coconut octopus?” Grisham cocked his head. “What the hell is that?”
“Cuzco is a small, real pretty cephalopod,” Kaiser stated, reminding the pair of his presence. “Do you enjoy swimming? Snorkeling or scuba diving? He’ll show you some amazing places if you let him.”
Wading with an Octopus Page 5