“Mindy, I think you should stay with me until the authorities find out who’s responsible for Marco’s death,” he said.
Mindy slowly shook her head. “I can’t do that.”
Nic could see the fear shimmering in her brown eyes, smell it tainting her supple skin. And it broke his heart. “I know you’re scared of me, especially after the morning you’ve had.”
“I’m not scared,” she said. “I just can’t leave my animals alone.”
He let her believe her own lies because Nic knew they were the only thing keeping her from falling apart. But there was no way he was going to leave her unprotected. She was his mate. It was his duty to take care of her. It was his honor, even if she didn’t know it yet.
“Then you leave me no choice,” Nic said. “I’ll be over after you get off work.”
Mindy’s eyes widened. “Nic, you can’t just barge into my life. A lot has happened. I need time to think.”
“So you can convince yourself that I’m a murderer?” he asked. “I don’t think so.” Nic’s gaze slid to Celina.
She took a step back.
“Tell her,” he demanded. “You know she’s safe with me. And you know why.”
“She might,” Mindy said. “But I don’t.”
Celina swallowed hard. “He’s telling the truth,” she said.
* * * * *
Mindy’s head whipped around. She’d expected her friend to take her side of things. “How do you know?”
“I just do,” Celina said.
“Well, forgive me if I don’t take your word for it,” she said.
“Mindy, someone left a body on your front lawn,” Celina said. “Until we know who or what put it there”—she glared at Nic—“I don’t want you being alone. Izzy would agree if she were here.”
“But what if—”
“He didn’t do it,” Celina said. “Trust me.”
“Do you know what you’re asking?”
Celina sighed. “Yeah, I do,” she said, glancing at Nic.
“Why do I feel like I’m not part of the conversation taking place?” Mindy asked.
Celina grabbed her hand. “Believe me, this is all about you,” she said. “Nic had better protect you with his life.”
“You know I will,” he said, then sprang to his feet. He pressed a quick kiss on Mindy’s mouth before she could protest, and strode out of the clinic.
Mindy watched him go, then glared at Celina. “Are you crazy? What if he killed Marco?”
Celina met her accusing gaze unflinchingly. “Do you believe that? Do you really believe that Nic is a murderer?”
Mindy opened her mouth to say yes, it was possible, but the words refused to come out. Her heart wouldn’t let them. It just didn’t believe that the same man who’d made love to her so tenderly, so passionately, had turned around the same night and killed a man. It didn’t make sense.
Celina’s gaze softened. “I know you haven’t known him long, but I can tell you right now that he’s serious about you. He’s committed more deeply than you can imagine.” She touched Mindy’s hickey, then pulled her hand away.
Mindy sighed. “A hickey doesn’t mean anything,” she said. “Last night we talked about being exclusive, but with everything that’s happened I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You’re wrong,” Celina said. “You saw how scared he was when he came in here. That’s not something he could’ve faked. Nic will protect you. His kind redefines loyalty. If you don’t believe me, call Izzy and ask.”
“Izzy has never met Nic,” Mindy said. “Has she?”
“No, but she’ll still know,” Celina said.
Mindy looked at her. Really looked. For the first time in all the years she’d known her, Celina appeared fragile. Was it because of Slade? Or was it something else?
Before she took a leap based on blind faith, there was one question she needed answered. “Why did you lie to Nic about the hybrid?”
Celina’s gaze dropped and sadness etched her face. “You’ll understand why soon enough.” She sighed. “When you do, it’ll be clear why I couldn’t let anything happen to him,” she said, and walked away.
Izzy wasn’t the only one who spoke in riddles.
* * * * *
Chapter Eighteen
Nic showed up at Mindy’s house like he’d promised, and knocked on her front door. Mindy opened it and stared at him. He had a black duffle bag slung over his shoulder and wore a stained white T-shirt with his blue jeans. His hair was tousled and he was grinning.
She almost smiled back, but stopped herself. “I still don’t think this is a good idea,” she said.
Nic studied her small porch and shrugged. “I don’t have a problem sleeping right here,” he said.
Mindy was tempted to let him, but then her gaze strayed to the crimson stain she hadn’t quite been able to get off with her power hose. What if whoever killed Marco came back while Nic was on the porch?
Her heart thundered in her chest. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if anything happened to him. Mindy glared at him, but Nic’s smile only widened. His eyes fixed on the hickey, and the strangest thing happened. The spot heated.
Mindy brushed her hand over it, and something in Nic’s blue eyes flared. She stepped back. “Come in.”
Nic walked into the living room and dropped his duffle bag next to the couch.
“Can I get you anything to drink?” she asked.
“Water,” Nic said.
Mindy went into the kitchen to retrieve a bottle. When she returned, Nic was sprawled out across the couch, his wide shoulders and long legs eating up every square inch. He sat up when she handed him the water.
“Thanks,” he said, then popped the cap and swallowed half the bottle in one gulp. “I know this isn’t something you want to talk about, but I need to know if there’s been anything strange going on lately.”
“Define strange,” she said. Her whole life was odd thanks to Izzy.
Nic set his bottled water down on the coffee table. “Let’s start with the animal at the clinic,” he said. “What was it and how did it get there?”
“It was a mutt. A big mutt, but a mutt nonetheless,” she said. “I almost hit him with my car. When I first saw him, I thought he was dead.”
“But it wasn’t?”
Mindy shook her head. “No, but the animal was injured. Celina and I rushed it to the clinic, where Dr. Fields patched it up.”
“What kind of mutt was it?” Nic asked.
“Wolf and something. Dr. Fields thought it had been bred with a Russian Bear dog, but the lab results were inconclusive,” Mindy said. “Once it healed, Celina carted him off to the preserve.”
Nic sat forward. “Are you sure?”
“As far as I know, that’s what she did.” Mindy couldn’t meet his eyes when she was lying. Why was she protecting Celina, when her friend had tossed her to the wolves?
* * * * *
“Anything else unusual happen?” Nic asked. He didn’t know why Mindy was lying, but he decided not to press her. He was afraid if he did she’d shut down.
She thought about his question and shook her head. “Not really. I don’t think Izzy’s warning from the wind counts.”
“What?” Nic asked. What did she mean by that?
She blanched. “Nothing,” she said.
Nic touched her hand. “You can tell me. I won’t laugh.”
Mindy stared at him in indecision. Nic thought she would refuse to answer, then she took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“Remember how I told you my sister was eccentric?” she asked.
Nic nodded.
“Well, there’s a little bit more to the story than that.” Mindy sank into the chair. “Truth is, Izzy is odd. It’s not just her fascination with monsters.”
Nic inwardly cringed, but kept his expression neutral. He didn’t want Mindy to see what effect her words had on him. He needed her to continue talking.
“Sometimes Izz
y knows things before they happen,” Mindy said, and glanced away.
“Are you saying your sister is psychic?” Nic asked.
“I know it sounds crazy,” she said. “You don’t have to believe me, but she called this morning and warned me that darkness was near. She gave me the impression that I was in danger.”
Nic’s heart stuttered in his chest. “Did she say from who?”
Mindy shook her head. “That’s the problem with Izzy and her visions. They aren’t always clear,” she said. “I know you don’t believe me.”
“Actually, I do,” Nic said. Her sister was a Sighted-One. Is that why the Darkling was here? He shook his head. No, that didn’t make sense, since her sister was gone. Unless... “Do you have the same abilities as Izzy?”
“No.” She gave him a humorless laugh. “There was only room for one whack-a-doodle in the family.”
Nic could sense her pain. “You said Izzy believed in monsters.”
She nodded.
“What did you mean by that?” Nic asked.
“When we were kids, Izzy used to tell me crazy stories about monsters walking through the mall. Used to scare me to death. Eventually, I outgrew the stories, but Izzy never did,” Mindy said. “She swore she could see them. She said they were everywhere. Izzy was always so scared. I think that’s why she partied so much in her teens. But no amount of alcohol could make them or her visions go away.”
It must’ve been terrifying for her, Nic thought. Growing up as a Sighted-One without any guidance had to be a lonely existence. Had loneliness also contributed to Mindy’s isolation?
“I’d like to fix you some dinner,” he said, clearly surprising her.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said.
“I know I don’t have to,” Nic said. “I want to. You just stay here and put your feet up.” He didn’t wait for her to answer. He simply walked into the kitchen.
* * * * *
Mindy watched him go. She’d expected Nic to laugh, when she’d told him about Izzy, but he hadn’t. There’d been compassion in his eyes, and what looked like concern. She sat back and had just kicked her feet up when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” she said. Mindy glanced through the peephole, then opened the door. “Detective Daniels, what are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood,” he said. “Thought I’d stop by and make sure you were okay.”
“Thank you,” Mindy said. “I’m fine.”
He shuffled his feet on her porch. “I just received the coroner’s report,” he said.
Mindy’s stomach dropped. This was it. What he said next could change everything. “What did it say?” she asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.
The detective watched her closely. “He ruled the death an animal attack. Said it most likely was a mountain lion.”
“Really?” His answer shocked Mindy. Her surprise quickly morphed into relief. “I’m glad to hear Marco wasn’t murdered.”
The detective’s lips thinned. It was evident that he didn’t agree with the report. “I stopped by to tell you to be careful and to ask if you had anywhere else you could stay for a while. I don’t like the idea of you being out here on your own,” he said.
A hand grasped the side of the door, opening it wider. Nic appeared beside her shoulder. The detective stiffened and his brown eyes narrowed.
“She won’t be alone,” Nic said. “I’m here.”
Detective Daniels gave him a hard cop stare, but Nic didn’t seem intimidated in the least. The detective’s gaze eventually returned to Mindy.
“You might want to take care with the crowd you’re running with,” he said. “Rumors around town say that the folks on the Fortier estate can be dangerous.”
“I didn’t think the police paid attention to gossip,” Nic said, his voice lethal.
“Sometimes it pays to listen to whispers on the streets,” Detective Daniels said. “You have a good night, Ms. MacDougal.”
“You too.”
* * * * *
Mindy shut the door. “That was weird.”
“Did I hear him right? Did he say it was a mountain lion attack?” Nic asked.
“Yeah.” Mindy’s brow furrowed.
“But?” Nic asked, wondering why she didn’t look convinced. “You don’t believe him.”
Mindy rubbed her neck. “No, I believe him. Why would he lie?”
“He wouldn’t,” Nic said, but the coroner would. “So what’s bothering you?”
“Marco’s body,” she said. “How did it get in front of my house?”
“The cat must’ve dragged it there,” he said.
Mindy stared at him. “That’s just it. There weren’t any drag marks.”
Nic brushed her arm with his finger. “Are you sure? You were in shock when you found the body. Anybody would be. Is it possible you are mistaken?” He didn’t want to put doubt in her mind, but Nic had no choice. The truth would have to stay buried until he could reveal all to her.
“I know I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am.” She rubbed her hands over her arms. “I know animals. Marco wasn’t a little guy. Even a healthy-sized mountain lion would have had difficulty moving him. It would’ve had to drag him. If it couldn’t, it would’ve sliced him open and eaten his stomach and intestines.”
She was right. It wasn’t a mountain lion that’d killed Marco. A cat couldn’t take down a Were, but a Darkling could.
* * * * *
Chapter Nineteen
Celina drove home without knowing how she got there. Her thoughts were too preoccupied with how she was going to confront Slade. She wanted that bond. If Mindy had one in such a short time period, then there was no reason for she and Slade to wait.
She pulled into the weathered apartment complex and parked in her numbered spot. Slade didn’t have a car, so there was no telling if he was home yet. Celina hoped he wasn’t. She wanted to get the apartment arranged into a romantic setting before he arrived.
What if he didn’t come home tonight?
He’d been spending more and more time away. Celina wondered, not for the first time, if he’d changed his mind. She couldn’t allow that to happen.
She remembered the fury on Nic La Croix’s handsome face when he’d asked about Slade. His anger scared her. Why did Nic want to know where he was? Did it have anything to do with Marco’s murder? Was it because Slade had been sniffing around Mindy’s house? Or was it because he wasn’t part of the Moonlight Kin?
Wolves were highly territorial. Couple that with Nic leaving his mark on Mindy and you had a recipe for extreme violence.
A fresh wave of jealousy struck. Celina hated that Slade was so interested in Mindy, but she didn’t want him harmed.
She got out of the car and walked to the tiny apartment she’d called home for the last few years. Gray paint peeled from the walls as she climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Celina opened the door and called out Slade’s name. Her voice echoed in the silence. She didn’t know how much time she had before he arrived, so she’d have to work fast.
She pulled out the candles from beneath her kitchen sink and lit them so that the warm glow softened the appearance of the tattered furniture.
Celina walked into her bedroom to search for her best lingerie. She placed the lacey outfit on the bed while she took a shower, then slipped it on beneath her jeans and green T-shirt. Celina went back into the kitchen and removed some chicken from the freezer so it had time to defrost.
Slade came home two hours later. He stopped in his tracks as he stepped through the front door. His gaze scanned the room, moving from the candles to the food on the table before settling on her.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“I thought I’d do something nice for you,” Celina said.
His amber eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Do I need a reason?” Celina asked.
Slade smiled. “No, but I know you have one.”
Celina ex
haled. “Fine.” She flipped on the lights.
“Do you know anything about a murder that occurred at Mindy’s house last night?” she asked.
Slade glided deeper into the room, his molten eyes glittering.
“A body was dumped on her front lawn,” Celina said. “She’s terrified. Mindy came into work crying. I barely got her to calm down. I know I promised not to tell her, but I’m going to have to say something.”
Slade shrugged as if it were inconsequential. “There is no reason for her to be afraid. No one’s going to harm her.”
“How do you know?” Celina asked. “Whatever killed Marco could still be lurking outside her house just waiting for an opportunity to get to her.”
“Oh, I am certain it wants her. Just not for the reasons you suggest.” He smiled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.
“People die every day, Celina. It’s hardly a tragedy.”
She put her hands on her hips. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“No.” Slade laughed. “I didn’t.” He stalked around the apartment, moving as if he were caged and looking for a way out.
He hadn’t denied anything, nor had he confessed. His evasive answers confused Celina and frightened her. Had he killed Marco? She didn’t want to believe it, but Weres didn’t live by the same laws as humans. She’d learned that over the years. Anyone familiar with the Moonlight Kin knew they were governed by a different set of rules. The punishment for breaking those rules was harsh. Had Slade broken the rules?
“You need to stay away from Mindy’s house,” she said. “It’s not safe.”
Slade’s eyebrow arched. “I can’t do that,” he said.
“Why not?” Celina whined. Didn’t the idiot understand that she was trying to save his life?
“Because I plan to claim her as my mate,” Slade said casually.
“You can’t do that!” Celina launched herself at him, pounding her fists on his chest.
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