by E A Price
“What happened?” she repeated impatiently.
“Ah…”
Holt appeared to be slack-jawed. His eyes glued to the throw as if staring at it hard enough would make it burst into flames.
Sebastian rolled his golden orbs. “He was surprised by me.”
That comment seemed to be enough to get Holt out of his stupor.
“Yeah, what the hell is with the talking cat?”
“The cat has a name,” purred the animal with devilish glee.
“Sebastian,” chided Zara. She was well used to talking animals, but she could imagine it was quite a shock for anyone unfamiliar.
“Sebastian?” snorted Holt.
“Says you, Angus,” teased Zara.
“Angus?” snickered Sebastian.
“Why does it talk?” said Holt, giving a lot of emphasis to the word ‘it’ and glaring at the cat as if the animal had given him fleas.
Zara winced slightly. It wasn’t technically forbidden to tell anyone the truth; it was just that the witchy council didn’t want their practices to become common knowledge. She didn’t tend to bring anyone back to her apartment, so it didn’t come up, but Holt hadn’t wanted to stay outside – something about her trying to ditch him – and she had been more concerned with changing out of sticky clothes.
“He’s kind of a parolee,” she admitted, feeling that the truth was the quickest option. “Sebastian, this is Holt. Holt, this is Sebastian.”
“More like Dolt,” muttered the cat.
“A parolee?”
“From magical prison,” she explained. “Most magic users can get out earlier if they agree to be turned into animals for a period.”
Holt seemed to mull that over for a few moments before shrugging slightly. Zara had been dubious at first, but honestly, it was supposed to be a humbling experience for the witches and warlocks. In her experience, that wasn’t a bad thing.
However, on seeing Sebastian licking his paws, his annoyance resurfaced.
“So, he’s actually a man?”
“An exceptional specimen if I do say so myself,” put in Sebastian. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t always humbling to everyone.
“Why the hell is he here?” grumbled Holt.
Zara walked over to Sebastian and scratched his head. “Responsible magic users are asked to house them – to rehabilitate them. I get a stipend to buy him food and stuff, and he’s better than a real roommate and less needy than a real cat.”
Sebastian started purring, and Holt’s eyes flared.
“But he’s a guy,” Holt said through gritted teeth.
“He’s a cat.”
Holt’s face seemed to be turning pink. “Still a guy.”
Sebastian purred in agreement and rubbed his head against Zara’s hand.
“You shouldn’t live with a guy,” added Holt, his face becoming more like a tomato.
“Your opinion is noted and ignored,” Zara said more than a little primly.
Even if she did live with a real guy – which Sebastian was not – it was none of his business. She hadn’t called him out for apparently living with a black haired beauty who had to be at least a decade younger than him. Who was he to judge her for living with a mangy old cat? Not that Sebastian was mangy, no - he was very sleek. Age wise she understood him to be about forty-five. Not too old Sebastian would often tell her while leering as suggestively as a cat could. She ignored him when he did that.
“Don’t you think you should put some clothes on?” asked Sebastian sweetly.
“Shut your mouth!” snarled Holt.
“Yes, I should.”
Zara sniffed at Holt and walked over to her bedroom, head held high.
“Let’s go into our room,” cooed Sebastian.
Holt made a noise like he was choking and Zara decided to throw him a bone. She didn’t want to encourage Sebastian just to aid Holt in his illogical jealousy.
“That’s enough of that,” she rebuked gently.
“Ha!” grunted Holt.
Sebastian stared up at her with huge round eyes, and Zara couldn’t stay mad. She picked him up, pretended she didn’t hear Holt’s growl and snuggled the cat before putting him on his house.
She had been a little unsure about the parolee rehabilitation program, but Sebastian was far too cute for his own good.
Though, Holt was throwing up a hitherto unknown little jealous streak. Probably about right for any cat.
Holt glared at the cat as he brazenly started licking himself and Zara shook her head. Gorillas and cats – men were all the same.
*
Holt went through a few ideas about how to get rid of Sebastian, but none of them sounded right. His gorilla – not usually one to condone animal cruelty – was considering full on violence against the little beast. He could reconcile himself with wanting to skin the mangy beast alive by the fact that somewhere under all that fur and those hairballs he was just another asshole witch.
I sleep on her pillow. The cat had purred.
I sniff her hair at night. He had gloated.
She lets me lick her hand…
Damnit! His inner gorilla howled in rage. That cat had designs on his woman, and he was too darn cute for Holt’s wellbeing.
“Careful,” snapped Zara as he took a turn too fast and the car briefly careened on two wheels. “Remember this is my car. If you want to wreck one, use your own.”
He tried to instill a sense of calm into his beast. The cat was back at Zara’s apartment. Despite his selfless suggestion that he be allowed to come with them and help protect his owner/parole officer, Zara had seen through him in a heartbeat and told him that catching bounties was no place for a domestic cat.
Holt hadn’t tried to rub it in… well, not much. The cat had been put out for a moment until he flicked his tail and declared he was going to have a nap on Zara’s bed - except he called it ‘their’ bed.
His gorilla hadn’t liked that. Zara’s bed was a place even he hadn’t visited, and yet that damn pet got to…
Calm murmured Holt to his beast. He is just a cat. Zara is ours… or soon will be… he hoped. Imagine a meadow, with wildflowers and Zara running through it naked as a jaybird… then imagine strangling a cat in the meadow….
“Left here,” ordered Zara.
He was driving – something he was surprised she had let him insist on. She was stubborn about some things but able to let others go. Perhaps letting him win small battles so she could win the larger ones later. Not encouraging. But, even though he was driving, she was the one who knew where they were going – something she had yet to divulge.
“It would be easier for me if you gave me an address.”
“It would be easier for me if you stayed home.”
“Not happening.”
“Ditto.”
He grumbled under his breath. She had tried another finder spell with a pair of his brother’s underwear that she had ‘acquired’ from his apartment, but nothing had come up. He decided to file away the underwear thing for later. Finally, after much prodding, she admitted that Cora told her about an apartment she and Sean used to meet at. News to him, but then he and his brother had grown apart over the last few years. If it weren’t for the club, they probably wouldn’t even see each other anymore.
“Where are we going?” he asked again.
“We are going to the place that Cora suggested I might find your brother.”
“Which is where?”
“Where she and he had a little love nest apartment.
“Which they didn’t want anyone else to know about,” he grumbled.
His gorilla huffed. He knew his brother had been seeing one of the girls on a regular basis, but he just assumed they had been hooking up in the office and at his apartment. Why would he be secretive about meeting her? Perhaps she was married or had a crazy, nightmare ex.
“She wants you to know now.” Zara pursed her lips and peered at the map on her phone. “Now, she thinks your brother has run off to Me
xico and left her here.”
“Didn’t know it was that serious between them. Didn’t think she cared that much.”
Zara slanted a look in his direction and muttered the word ‘typical.'
Holt gripped the steering wheel. “How long has that cat been living with you?”
“Does it matter?” she muttered focusing on her phone. “He’s a cat.”
“He’s a man.”
“I swear all we’ve done is cuddle.”
“Funny,” he grunted in a tone that suggested anything but that.
“Left here and there it is. Apartment Two.”
Zara pointed at an apartment complex. It looked like it had been built in the fifties and hadn’t been subjected to any maintenance work since. Not the sort of place Holt ever expected to find his brother.
He parked the car and Zara was out of it and running before he could tell her to hang back. Both man and gorilla groaned.
“Damnit!”
Whether she was going to knock on the door or just go ahead and pick the lock, he didn’t find out. As soon as she made it to the door, a beefy arm shot out and grasped her by the neck.
As Zara gasped and gurgled, Holt’s beast bellowed in a fury and burst to life.
Chapter Eight
“Stop, Holt. Please!”
Zara pulled at his arm, but it did not good. Like trying to tell King Kong to stop grabbing blondes and climbing tall buildings.
The guy he was currently trying to throttle – the one who had jumped out at her and gave her an almighty fright – was definitely her bounty. Which meant he was Holt’s brother.
“Ugh! That’s your brother, you idiot!”
If she didn’t recognize him from his picture, she certainly did by the square head, deep brow and smoldering gruffness - though his wasn’t nearly so attractive as Holt’s. However, there weren’t a lot of similarities at that moment – given that Holt was a rampaging gorilla. Sean was also a gorilla shifter, but given how quickly Holt moved, it appeared he didn’t have time to shift.
Holt certainly made a handsome beast, though. Much like the man himself, there was something so… majestic and arresting about him. When he entered a room, everyone looked up in awe. Well, when the gorilla entered the room, they probably looked up in terror and awe.
“Angus!” hissed Sean, a plea as he started turning purple.
Sean was no slouch. He was probably as tall as Holt, but much more lithe, and not quite so ripped. Even if he wanted to fight back, Zara doubted he would be able to stop Holt – who was like a living wrecking ball.
The gorilla let out a few hoots and beat his chest twice.
Zara rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath.
“Holt,” she murmured, trying a different tack.
She smoothed her hand through his fur, and he froze, turning brown eyes to look at her. He really was a beautiful creature. For a few moments, she forgot what she was trying to achieve and just enjoyed stroking his fur. An unexpected smile spread over her lips, and she got the urge to cuddle him. Thankfully, a groan from Sean put the kybosh on that. Holt was getting far too smug and involved in her life – hugging him would send the wrong message entirely.
Zara cleared her throat. “C’mon, now, furball. Drop him.”
The beast snorted.
“C’mon. Drop him.”
She scratched the top of his head, and she must have hit a sweet spot because he let out a gentle grunt and allowed Sean to fall to the floor.
“Good boy,” she cooed.
A trick she had learned from dealing with Sebastian when he refused to let go of the neighbor’s hamster. Though, she wasn’t going to admit that to Holt – he had taken against her cat for some reason.
Sean struggled for breath from the floor. “What the hell?” he wheezed furiously.
“You missed your court date,” said Zara. “I’m here to take you to the cops.”
“I’m not going.” Sean looked between them, frowning at his brother. “What are you doing here?” he asked the beast.
The gorilla rumbled as he shifted back into Holt, huge and naked and smiling benignly at her. “Good boy?”
Zara shrugged. “Behave yourself, or you won’t get a treat.”
She regretted those words the moment they left her lips. The smile on his face curled into something full of lascivious promise. She meant like ice cream or something!
Sean let out a sound of disgust and tried to scramble away. Holt’s arm shot out and held him in place by his shirt.
“Babycakes, I need to talk to my brother. Can you wait in the car for us?”
Zara folded her arms and scowled. “Seriously? How dumb do you think I am?”
“Not at all,” he murmured, leaning a little closer to her.
She held her breath and forced herself not to move as he inched closer and closer.
“I just need to talk to him, and then we will take him back to the cops together.”
“Hang on…” grumbled Sean before letting out a sound of pain.
Zara had no idea what Holt did to him; her gaze was fixed on the male in front of her. She couldn’t have looked away even if she wanted to. She was trapped in his eyes, bathing in his delicious scent and reveling in the heat of his golden skin. All she had to do was reach out, press her fingers to his chest, crushing her lips to his and she’d be a goner.
“Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
He grinned. “Thank you, dumpling.”
He reached behind her, opened the door and gently propelled her out of the apartment. Zara stumbled for a moment before regaining her footing and realizing just what the hell she had allowed him to do.
“Sneaky bastard!”
His roars of laughter echoed in her ears as she stomped to her car.
*
Holt glared at his brother. He had already noticed the suitcase – his brother was not intending on hanging around. His beast was not too happy with him at all, but for trying to hurt Zara, he was absolutely freaking livid.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Sean gave him the same sullen look he gave him when he was sixteen and stole their next-door neighbor’s ride-on mower for a joyride. Given that the cops just had to do a fast walk to catch him, it wasn’t a very successful joy ride.
“Leaving town. How did you find me?”
“Cora.”
Sean’s nostrils flared before worry flickered over his features. “Is she okay?”
“Upset and pissed because she thinks you ran out on her.”
“But safe?” he asked anxiously. “Our… no one has tried to hurt her?”
“Not as far as I know. But you can ask her yourself.”
Sean started pacing the room. “I don’t want to go to prison.”
“You’re innocent, so you won’t.”
The two brothers didn’t seem to get along anymore, but Holt could never believe his brother was capable of murder. Sean had been a hellraiser, but he had never been vicious. It was always Sean urging Holt to hold back when one of their suppliers at the bar ripped them off, or when one of their employees tried to steal from them. Sean was usually the calm and rational brother.
“Being innocent doesn’t mean anything,” he muttered, collapsing onto a well-worn sofa and closing his eyes.
“Fleeing the country would make you guilty. Come with me, let Zara take you in.”
One eye opened to peer at him. “That why you’re here? Because you’re banging my bounty hunter? Nice piece of…”
His gorilla roared, and Sean was slammed against the wall before he could finish that thought. It was all Holt could do to avoid another shift.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” wheezed Sean.
Holt dropped him, and his beast harrumphed. If he uttered another word about Zara...
“You’re not running,” he rumbled.
“Either I run, or I go to prison. If I stay, I don’t want to risk being fo
und innocent.”
Fear flashed briefly in his eyes.
Holt frowned at his brother. “What does that mean?” he asked slowly.
*
Sean stared out the window sullenly, while Holt gripped her steering wheel so tensely that Zara was afraid he was going to snap it off.
Perhaps they should have taken Holt’s vehicle – and not just because she feared for her steering wheel. Thanks to the two males, her car was listing so hard she was amazed they weren’t scraping the road. Her car was not built with gorilla shifters in mind. Few were.
“Maybe you should sit in the middle,” she said to Sean.
He let out a snort. Holt let out a grunt. Sean grudgingly shifted along the backseat.
Zara wasn’t sure what went on between the two brothers. She had considered eavesdropping but decided against it - mostly because she couldn’t hear anything through the door, or any of the windows or through the adjacent apartment wall. Thankfully, the owners of apartment number one were not in. Getting past the lock was easy but ultimately pointless.
After half an hour the two males joined her at the car. Holt wasn’t even dragging Sean, but they were both sporting matching grim expressions. Holt told her they were leaving, so she got in the car without any arguments or smart-aleck comments. She wasn’t afraid of Holt’s reaction to anything she said, but she just sensed that now was not the time.
Well… good. She didn’t know why she had a reason to feel unhappy. Everything was going her way. She had her bounty. Soon she’d have a nice fat paycheck for bringing him in, and she’d never have to see Holt again. Yeah. Fan-freaking-tastic.
Zara looked at Holt for a moment. His dark gaze was trained on the road ahead with stern determination. Did he care this was the last time they would see each other? She doubted it. She stared out of the window moodily. This was what she wanted, right? Never to see him again.
*
One month ago
Crap, crap, crap!
The crocodile shifter she was chasing was a lot wilier than Zara gave her credit for. Given that the woman had been arrested for stealing a bicycle and then accidentally trying to sell it back to the real owner, Zara hadn’t worried too much about her. But the darn female had slipped out of her grasp three times now, and she was not going to get away for the fourth time. Didn’t help that the darn woman could apparently outrun a cheetah. Zara ran marathons, but even she was panting as she rounded a corner into an alleyway.