“Jason,” he said, bracing himself for more tales of craziness. “What’s Yolanda done now?”
Silence on the other end. Then an unfamiliar male voice spoke. “This is Officer Frank DeLeon with the Pack Protectors. I regret to inform you that Jason is dead.”
“Dead?” Eric swallowed hard, pain knifing through him. “I just talked to him around one this morning. His alarm went off in the middle of our call. What happened? Intruders?”
A pause. “We’re reviewing the surveillance tapes now. It was pretty violent.”
Then, while Eric was still trying to wrap his mind around that, the voice continued. “And there’s more, unfortunately. We’ve also got a severely injured woman here. Judging from what we can tell from the crime scene, she and Jason were battling.”
“A woman?” At first he didn’t understand.
“Yes. She knew the drill, since she came armed with a pistol and silver bullets. After she shot Jason, she turned the gun on herself.”
“Who?” Eric cleared his throat, feeling as if he already knew the answer, but hoping he was wrong. “Who is the woman?”
“Mr. Mikkelson, we’ve tentatively identified her as your ex-wife, Yolanda. Your ex-wife and the person who was trying to make a case against you for allegedly being a true Berserker.”
Chapter 7
Another pause. Had there been accusation in the Pack Protector’s tone? When Officer DeLeon continued, Eric already knew exactly what he was going to say. “What I’ll need from you, Mr. Mikkelson, is proof of your whereabouts since 1:00 a.m.”
Stunned, shocked, Eric took a full twenty seconds to respond. “I’m in New York, sir. And yes, I can provide whatever proof you need.”
It was only after he’d hung up that he allowed himself to give in to his grief. Jason was gone. Not only his best friend, but his contact inside the Pack Protectors. The guy who always had his back. And Yolanda had taken herself out along with him.
Unfortunately, the phone call had been all too real. Jason was dead. Yolanda was seriously injured and in intensive care. The doctor had told Eric he wasn’t sure if she would pull through.
The taint of unspoken accusation had colored every sentence between Eric and Officer DeLeon. Even though it hadn’t taken long for the Pack Protectors to verify that Eric was indeed in New York, on the opposite side of the country.
From what DeLeon had reluctantly revealed, it appeared Yolanda had gone to Jason’s home to confront him. She’d purchased a pistol and some silver bullets, apparently with the intention of threatening him. Things had gone downhill from there. Everyone in Jason’s division had been familiar with the woman and her crazy accusations. No one had seen her as a viable threat, least of all Jason.
Privately, Eric thought she’d purchased the one weapon that could kill a shifter in order to eliminate him, once she got Jason to reveal her ex-husband and son’s location. He wondered if Jason had, before he died. Knowing his friend, Eric doubted it.
Poor Jason had been caught in the middle. A Pack Protector, he clearly hadn’t taken Yolanda seriously enough. This broke Eric’s heart.
Meanwhile, Yolanda continued to recover at the hospital. While a silver bullet could kill, she’d missed her heart and brain and any other vital organs. Now she had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.
One of their own had been killed and the Pack Protectors were in a frenzy to blame someone. At first it had seemed as if they were trying to figure out a way to accuse Eric, but in the end they’d had to acknowledge Yolanda had done this, and she’d acted alone.
However, Detective DeLeon’s casual use of the word Berserker concerned Eric. He sounded as if he had no idea what a Berserker was. Yolanda definitely wasn’t one, but the other man referred to her as a Berserker more than once. Luckily, as far as Eric and Garth were concerned, whatever caused bears to go wild was rarely passed down. Instead, it mostly appeared to be a random gene mutation.
Eric could not allow anything to happen to Garth, even if his birth mother was determined to be Berserker by people who knew no better. Eric had shifted with Yolanda and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wasn’t.
DeLeon had said Yolanda would be charged with murder if she lived. Right now, no one seemed certain she would. If she did, Eric could only hope she remained in police custody. He couldn’t help but pray that Jason, in his final moments, had not revealed Eric and Garth’s location.
* * *
Though most of the snow had melted, except for odd little pockets of dirty whiteness in the shadows of buildings or a particularly large tree, the slate-gray sky and icy, gusting wind promised another storm would be on the way sooner or later. After all, it was January.
JJ, like most of Forestwood, bustled around trying to run errands and stock up on supplies before she was snowed in again.
Her mother called from Australia just as JJ finished putting up the groceries. It was summer there, and her mom always loved to tell her how much fun she had at the beach in the blazing hot sun. She didn’t seem to ever grasp the fact that her daughter really preferred fall and winter.
“I heard you got a big snowstorm,” Anita Jacobs said by way of greeting.
“We did.” JJ waited for her mom to gloat.
Instead, Anita sighed. “I miss the snow.”
This statement so boggled her mind that JJ couldn’t think of a response. Her mother had always complained bitterly when the first snowflake fluttered to the ground.
“Listen,” her mom continued. “I was wondering. Have you and Shawn kissed and made up yet?”
JJ couldn’t suppress a shudder. Her mother had loved Shawn. Of course, JJ hadn’t given her a reason not to. She’d been too embarrassed to admit the truth. “No, Mom. That’s not going to happen.”
“Because he wants to live in Manhattan and you’re now living upstate?”
“If only it were that simple,” JJ said.
“He called me, you know.”
JJ felt a stab of fear, like a steel blade plunging into the middle of her chest. She cursed herself for not telling her mother the truth. “Please tell me you didn’t let him know where I am.”
“Of course not.” Anita sounded offended. “You asked me not to and I promised. I am a woman of my word. But I need to tell you how worried that man is. He seemed frantic. Said he’s been searching for you in all five boroughs.”
Frantic? More like pissed.
“Mom, there’s something you should know about Shawn,” JJ began.
“No.” Her mother snorted. “If he had an affair, I don’t want to know the details.”
As far as JJ knew, Shawn could have had twenty affairs. Cheating would have been infinitely preferable to the facts. “It wasn’t that, Mom.” Pushing away the wave of shame, JJ forced herself to continue. “Shawn was abusive.” There. Finally, she’d given her mom the truth. Though abusive seemed too tame a word, it nicely summed up things.
“Abusive?” Anita sounded confused. “What do you mean? That man positively doted on you.”
“In public.” Hearing the defeat in her own voice, JJ winced. “Listen, it’s a long story. I’ll tell it to you sometime, maybe next time you visit. But for now, believe me when I say it’s not safe for me if Shawn finds out where I am.”
“Wow. I had no idea. I’m shocked. Truly stunned. I also don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”
A hundred reasons. Chief among them, JJ had been ashamed. Also, she figured the less people knew, the better. She couldn’t live with herself if she put anyone else’s life in danger because of her.
Instead of answering, JJ sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom. It’s just been kind of crazy.”
“I imagine it has been. I’m so sorry you had to endure that. I honestly would have tried to help you if I’d known. You know you’re always welcome to come li
ve with me in Australia.”
Closing her eyes against the wave of pain her mother’s words brought, JJ tried to formulate a response. “Thanks, Mom. But I’m fine here. I like this house and this town. And I have a new tenant renting the space downstairs. For the first time in a long time, I think everything is going to be all right.” Maybe if she said it enough, she’d believe it.
“Really?” JJ could hear the surprise in Anita’s voice. “That’s wonderful. Just remember, though. You always have a choice.”
“We all have free will, Mom.” This last came out sharper than JJ had intended. “Sorry.” She took a deep breath and tried to take her tone down a notch. “I’m still adjusting to getting away and starting a new life.”
Silence. Then her mother sighed. “I’m happy for you, sweetheart. Truly happy. Again, I find it painful that you never said anything to me. I could have helped you. Just because I moved away doesn’t mean I abandoned you.”
Hadn’t she? JJ no longer had any idea what to think. To be fair, she’d told her mom as little as possible about that aspect of her life. It wasn’t exactly something she wanted anyone else to know about. They hadn’t really discussed it since her mother left.
This time, JJ didn’t answer. After a few seconds of silence, Anita spoke. “Do you need me to come see you? Maybe visit for a couple of weeks, just until you get settled? I still know a few people in that town.”
Did she really mean that? Ever since the day her mom had packed up and moved to Australia, leaving alone a daughter still grieving over the loss of her father, JJ had struggled with the question of whether or not her mother really loved her.
She still didn’t understand how a mom could move to the other side of the world from her young daughter who might need her. JJ got that they had both been in pain, shell-shocked and reeling over their mutual loss, but who simply took off without a backward glance, leaving behind the only family member you had left?
She still felt resentment, even after all these months. Another unwelcome emotion.
“Honey? Did you hear me? I can book a flight and be there in a few days if you want.”
“That’s okay,” JJ finally said. “I’m still trying to find my footing. I told you I got a tenant to live in the downstairs unit. So I have his rent for income until I find a job. And I’ve made friends with the woman next door. So it’s not like I’m all alone.”
“Well, all right.” Did her mom actually sound disappointed? “But promise me you’ll let me know if you need me, okay?”
This was a new one. Her mother had never really appeared to care if JJ was in trouble. “Okay.”
With that assurance, her mother hung up.
Odd. It was almost as if she was hoping JJ would actually need her. Shaking her head, JJ couldn’t help but wonder if Anita had gotten bored with her life down under and was hoping for a little excitement to stir things up.
The next morning, JJ woke early. She showered and dried her hair, dressing warmly before heading into her kitchen to make a pot of coffee.
Even though it was below freezing, JJ bundled up and carried her coffee outside to the front porch to drink it. She needed to get out of the house. It felt like the walls were closing in around her.
Since snow had piled up on the outdoor chairs, JJ stood. Next door, the front door opened and Rhonda came outside and waved. “Come over here,” she ordered, cupping her mouth with her hands to make sure the sound carried. “I just made a coffee cake. And I have plenty of java. We’re overdue for a chat.”
Thankful for the welcome distraction, JJ said she’d be right over. After draining the last of her coffee, she headed next door, glad of the still-shoveled sidewalk. Once inside Rhonda’s cheery yellow kitchen, she shrugged out of her parka, hanging it on the wooden coatrack near the back door. Accepting a cup of steaming coffee, she chose one of the bar stools and sat at the bar instead of the kitchen table.
Smiling, Rhonda cut two large slices of coffee cake and brought them over, along with her own mug of coffee.
“It’s so good to see you. But you don’t look like you’ve been sleeping well,” Rhonda drawled, her blue eyes sparkling with humor. “Is there a reason? Such as a certain handsome hunk of tenant keeping you up at night?”
Heaven help her, but JJ blushed. “I wish,” she said, meaning it. “But no. I just had a bad night last night.”
Taking a large bite prevented her from acting on the urge to over-confide. As if aware of this, her neighbor watched, sipping her coffee, while JJ chewed.
“Why?” Rhonda finally asked. Her coffee cake still sat untouched.
“I have no idea.” JJ pointed toward her own half-demolished slice. “This is really good. Aren’t you going to eat yours?”
“Maybe.” Using her fork, Rhonda cut a teeny, tiny bite. “Mmm. It is good.”
JJ shook her head, eyeing her neighbor in disbelief. “Unless you scarfed down three pieces before I got here, please tell me that’s not all you’re going to eat.”
“Hey!” Rhonda’s heavily penciled-in eyebrows rose. “Maybe I’m just trying to look good. Bikini season is right around the corner, you know.”
This made JJ laugh. “It’s January,” she snorted. “I’d say you’ve got several months before you need to even think about bikini season. Unless you’re going to Australia to visit my mom.”
“Nope.” Rhonda shook her head. Her expression got serious. “Listen, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Are you and Thor involved?”
It took JJ a few seconds. “Thor? Oh, you mean Eric. My tenant. No, we’re not. Why?” She asked the question even though she already knew what the answer would be.
“Because he’s superhot.” Rhonda sighed. “And also seems nice, which is rare in a guy who looks like him. But I didn’t want to poach on your territory, so if you want dibs, let me know. Before I go making a fool of myself.”
Dibs. Dismayed and alarmed at the rush of jealousy that flooded through her at the other woman’s comment, JJ looked down at her half-eaten cake. To give herself time to decide how to respond, she took a long drink of her rapidly cooling coffee.
Finally, she decided to just go with the truth. “I don’t know, Rhonda. He hasn’t been here all that long.” She met her friend’s bright blue eyes. “But as far as who he might want to date in the future, I’m thinking it should be up to him, not us.”
“True.” Rhonda grabbed JJ’s cup and refilled it. “But you’re drop-dead gorgeous and you get to live with him. You have the home field advantage. I’d have to put in some pretty intense effort to even get him to notice me.”
JJ laughed. “Have you looked in the mirror lately, my friend? He might just be partial to petite, well-endowed blondes. He came here from California, after all.”
“Did he?” Rhonda purred. “Then maybe I might have a chance.”
Though it took an effort, JJ managed a casual shrug. “You might. As long as you can stand being around his baby.”
Rhonda flashed her a horrified look. “I completely forgot about his kid. I know you mentioned it, but I must have blocked that from my mind.” While she sulked, she shoveled a larger bite of her coffee cake into her mouth and washed it down with a gulp of coffee.
“Well, that’s not going to work,” Rhonda finally said. “Unless you’d be willing to watch the baby when he and I go out.”
“Not a chance,” JJ replied cheerfully. “You have to take one if you want the other. They’re kind of a package deal.”
“I’m not going to marry him,” Rhonda protested. “Just have a little fun.”
For whatever reason, JJ couldn’t see Eric and Rhonda together. At all. Did that mean she wanted him for herself? She wasn’t sure. “Good luck,” she said.
Tilting her head, Rhonda searched her face. “You sound lik
e you really mean it.”
Again the twinge, which she disregarded more forcibly this time. “I just got out of a long-term relationship,” she said. “And it wasn’t a good one. I promise you, right now I’m not in the market for another.”
She wondered why saying the words felt like a lie.
* * *
Staring out his front window at the slate-gray sky, Eric wondered if he’d made a mistake coming to Forestwood. Did the sun ever shine here? Coming from sunny California, he’d read up and thought he was prepared for a New York winter. Apparently not. He had to admit, once or twice the idea of returning to Cali had crossed his mind, but he’d made a plan and committed himself to it. He had to give this town and this new life a chance. Plus, of course, his son was a lot safer this far from Yolanda.
At least there hadn’t been any more snowstorms. Yet. The entire town appeared to be collectively holding its breath. He hadn’t seen JJ since the incident when he’d thought Garth had stopped breathing. Two days. He found he missed talking with her. While he wasn’t sure if that was because he knew absolutely no one else here, he didn’t feel the urge to go next door and hang out with Rhonda.
No, it was JJ he wanted.
As if they were friends. Though they barely knew each other, he considered her a friend. As long as he pushed back his attraction—which he had to, since he had to focus on new beginnings and raising Garth—he believed he and JJ could become friends. Nothing more. Which he surprisingly regretted.
Right now, he couldn’t help but wonder if she missed his company as much as he missed hers. He decided he’d go up to her place later that day and see if she wanted to talk.
Later that afternoon, when a sharp knock sounded on his front door, his heart stuttered as he jumped to his feet. Maybe JJ had come to visit. But when he yanked open the door, instead of a petite redhead, a dour-faced middle-aged man stood on his doorstep. The long overcoat he wore, along with his short, military-style haircut, proclaimed him law enforcement.
“Frank DeLeon,” the man said, holding out his hand. “Pack Protector.”
Her Guardian Shifter Page 7