“She’s trying to access the Guardian Network,” Joanne said. “I found clear evidence of that. Do you think she thought the sword would help?”
“Probably,” Andrea said. “I wonder if the sword shed part of itself to prevent her.”
“Now they’re talking about a piece of metal like it can think,” Broderick said in exasperation.
“Hey.” Sean pinned him with a glance. “If you’d lived with a Guardian’s sword for as many years as I have—you’d know they can think.”
“In a way, they can,” Andrea broke in. “They’ve freed so many souls, have been wielded by so many Guardians down the generations. We still don’t know what all the runes on them mean, and the runes seem to move. It’s like the swords have minds of their own.”
Both Broderick and Seamus took minute steps back from the sword lying on the counter. Spike remained where he was, always stoic, but even he seemed unnerved.
Joanne answered Andrea. “So, this hacker is obviously very desperate to hack into the Guardian Network. She stole a Guardian’s sword—went so far as to kill him or have him killed. If the sword won’t work without the medallion, I’m willing to bet she’ll do anything to get the medallion back. Or anything to have a Guardian at her disposal.” She looked at Sean.
Sean gave her a nod. “Ye mean set a trap for her. With me as bait.”
“No,” Andrea said at once. “No, Sean.”
Sean and Andrea exchanged a look. Kenny chose that moment to take his spoon out of his mouth and emit a noise that was almost a word. “Dah—”
Kenny had been named for Sean’s brother who had been brutally killed by a feral Shifter years ago. Sean and Liam hadn’t been able to save him, which had haunted the brothers ever since.
Sean’s gaze flicked to Kenny. Offering himself as bait was dangerous, especially to a crazy-mad woman with a gun. Even Broderick had barely gotten away from her.
“Your mate is right,” Broderick said, balling his hand over the medallion. “This woman is one messed-up chick who’d shoot you full of holes and pluck the sword out of your still-warm hand. Your cub doesn’t need that to happen. Kenny just said Dad—didn’t you hear him? Which meant Don’t be an idiot, Dad.” Broderick looked around at the collected Shifters. “I have the medallion. I’ll offer it to her, and when she meets me to get it, we can grab her.”
Chapter Eight
Joanne was immediately on her feet, her brown eyes full of fury. “Wait, Sean can’t be bait, but you can? What makes you sure she won’t fill you full of holes? She’s already tried once.”
Broderick went to her. “The difference is, I’m expendable.” Joanne took a sharp breath, ready to argue, but Broderick put his hand on her lips, stilling her words. “No, I am. I’m not a pack leader, not a Guardian, I don’t have a mate or cubs. I have three younger brothers who can step up if something happens to me. They can take care of Aunt Cora, and your sister and her mate fine. I’m just a tracker who’s been a screw-up and a pain in the ass. I’m the perfect bait.”
Joanne stared at him as he spoke, her soft lips parted under his fingers. Her eyes were beautiful, catching the light, even in her anger.
Broderick expected an argument to come pouring out of her mouth, or a at least a scolding. Aunt Cora gave him the same look when she was about to dump rebukes on his head.
Instead, Joanne jerked away, pivoted on her heel, and marched out the back door. Broderick watched through the glass on the door’s upper half as she stormed across the green in the direction of his house, sunshine dancing on her short hair.
“You’re supposed to go after her,” Andrea said behind him. “And have a loud argument. Joanne left so you could have it in private.”
Broderick turned around to see the others regarding him with amused looks, even Kenny. The shit they’d been discussing was deadly serious, and here they were hiding laughter at Joanne being pissed off at Broderick. Joanne was generally pissed off at him, so this was nothing new.
“Let her win,” Sean said. “It’s the best way.”
Spike and Seamus were manfully keeping their faces straight, but the two of them, mated and loving it, had decided to join in the fun at Broderick’s expense. Some friends they were.
Tiger made the decision that Broderick would go after Joanne by the means of barreling back into the house from his jaunt next door, and shoving Broderick out the kitchen door with him. Tiger propelled Broderick along until they’d reached the strip of common land that stretched behind the houses.
Down the green, to the right of Sean’s bungalow, was a stand of thick-trunked live oaks. In the right moments, when mists rose in that grove, the walls between Faerie and this world thinned, and Andrea’s father, a shit of a warrior called Fionn, could come through. Broderick wasn’t sure how it worked, but he knew Shiftertown was on a ley line, those places where magic flowed and gates could open.
Tiger moved in front of Broderick and stood like a solid barricade. “Joanne is afraid of losing you,” he said in his blunt way. “Because you are her mate.”
Broderick tried to keep his temper. “I told you, I haven’t mate-claimed her. I haven’t even mentioned mating to her. Joanne has better things to do than tie herself to Shiftertown. She’s made that clear.”
Broderick closed his mouth, saying more than he meant to. Tiger simply listened, his golden eyes fixed.
“She is already your mate.” He gestured at the air in front of Broderick’s body. “I can see.”
Tiger had an uncanny ability to know things that were going on with people, even at a distance, and he was usually right. Tiger claimed he’d known right away that Carly was his mate, no matter how many Shifters explained that the insta-mate thing only happened in stories.
Carly had become his mate. Was that because Tiger had been right all along? Or did it happen because Tiger had convinced himself of this early on and then did everything in his power to make his conviction come true?
Tiger returned his gaze to Broderick, his steady stare unnerving. How Carly put up with him, Broderick didn’t know.
“I can’t go after her with you in my way,” Broderick pointed out. “But I’m not locking her in with the you are my true mate whether you like it or not garbage. It has to be her choice.”
“It isn’t your choice.” Tiger held out his hand. “Give me the medallion.”
“Huh?” Broderick opened his fingers, which had closed around the silver disc as he’d been hurried from Sean’s house. “Why?”
“Give it to me.”
Broderick shut his hand around it again. “No. I’ll hang on to it. I’m going to be the one offering it to the hacker-woman.”
Tiger lowered his arm, looking satisfied. “It has chosen you to be its protector. Just as you are chosen to be Joanne’s mate.”
Broderick swallowed uneasily. “Whatever the hell goes on in your head, big guy, it’s fucked you up. Maybe when Carly brings in your cub, that will distract you from thinking up this cryptic shit. You’re worse than Dylan, and that’s saying something.”
The mention of Carly and his impending fatherhood softened Tiger’s face in a big way. His eyes lost their intensity, and he looked almost normal … for a giant of a man with mottled red and black hair and bizarre golden eyes.
“The cub will arrive soon,” Tiger said. “It will be a boy.”
He sounded so certain. Carly and Tiger had an ongoing argument about the gender of the cub—Carly hadn’t gone for an ultrasound, deciding she wanted to be surprised. Shifters didn’t much like doctors poking at their mates while they carried cubs anyway. Carly enjoyed the arguments with Tiger, Broderick saw, so maybe it was just as well.
“Tiger, you are one crazy-ass Shifter,” Broderick said, gentling his tone. “Not your fault—those researchers really messed with you. Fine. I’ll go talk to Joanne. I’ll even argue with her. And set it up to catch this woman before you have to stay home and be a dad. Okay?”
Tiger’s gaze was shrewd, the man smarter than he
let on. Communication was Tiger’s barrier to the world, not ignorance or slowness.
“Okay,” he answered.
He gave Broderick a satisfied nod, then turned around and walked away, no good-byes, no parting shots or words of advice. That was Tiger.
Broderick shook his head at the encounter then jogged off into the green, where a slight fog was rising. Joanne had gone in the direction of his house, and Broderick headed there, the silver medallion comfortably warm against his palm.
***
Broderick was going to yell, Joanne knew. He was gearing up to bluster and swear and act like the world was dumping shit on his shoulders.
That was how Broderick argued, how he dealt with things out of his control. He was upset about being abducted—men had sneaked up behind him and knocked him out before he’d known it. He hadn’t been able to stop them or defend himself. That was freaking him out, even more than being bound and taken away, even more than being shot.
Joanne heard him storming up behind her in the warm afternoon air. The green was unusually empty, no cubs chasing each other or adults warming themselves in the sunshine. Joanne couldn’t blame the parents for keeping their cubs inside today—Broderick, one of the toughest Shifters around, had been too-easily abducted, and they were waiting until Shiftertown was safe before letting the cubs go running around again.
“Joanne,” Broderick called.
At least he started with her name, not Hey! Stop!
Joanne turned. She folded her arms across her chest and prevented him starting his bluster by beating him to it.
“Don’t you dare tell me you’re expendable,” she said heatedly. “I agree that you’re a pain in the ass, but that’s no reason to stand in front of a barrage of bullets so other Shifters can capture this woman and her thugs. I won’t let you.”
Broderick’s gray eyes flickered, and he strove to mask his surprise that she’d launched into him first. “I didn’t say I’d let them take me down. I only said that if they did, it wouldn’t be the blow to Shiftertown that losing Sean would be. Or Dylan. Or Tiger. Hell, even Spike. Shifters all over would be seriously pissed off at me for letting Spike get killed. All that money they couldn’t win on him anymore …”
“This isn’t funny!” Joanne cut across his words. “Believe it or not, some people care about you. Your aunt. Your brothers. How is Aunt Cora going to keep them in line if you’re gone? And then there’s me!”
“Aunt Cora needs to keep you in line too?” Broderick scowled as he said it, destroying his attempt at humor.
“No, you dumb-ass. I mean if something happens to you, what do I do? I’ll have a big hole where you used to be. I’m tired of holes in my life. I don’t want to lose you!” Tears began to slide from Joanne’s eyes, and she brushed them away in irritation. “Just because you’ve decided you don’t matter to anyone doesn’t mean you’re right.”
She couldn’t take it anymore. Joanne had been on her way to see Nancy, to check up on her, but she now wanted to get the hell out of Shiftertown and go home. Nancy was fine—she was happy taking care of her mate. Joanne was the messed-up one—falling in love with a Shifter who couldn’t see how special he was.
Joanne started walking again, but she’d make for her car instead of Broderick’s house. She’d go home and sleep, erasing this exhaustion and anger. Maybe later she could function, help, give this woman payback for hurting the man she’d come to care deeply for.
“Hey.” Broderick’s voice had softened many degrees. His hand on Joanne’s shoulder stopped her, but she didn’t face him. She couldn’t. “Hey, sweetheart. Wait.”
Joanne refused to turn around, so he circled in front of her, laying both hands on her shoulders. His strength came to her through his touch along with the heat that made her melt every time she was around him.
Joanne had started falling in love with Broderick when he’d stood up for her against every other Shifter in Shiftertown. Because of Broderick, Joanne hadn’t had to face the wrath of the Morrissey brothers. Because of Broderick, the Shifters’ initial anger with Joanne had turned to sympathy and then compassion and help.
Broderick still held the medallion. Where it pressed Joanne’s shoulder, she felt a tingle, as though something electric passed through it to her.
The strangeness of that flitted through her head, but it was a distraction only, because Broderick drew her close.
She felt his heart beating hard, his body flushed with warmth. Broderick’s fingers were callused, his eyes hard and gray. A muscle moved in his jaw, his mouth a firm line.
“Don’t kiss me,” Joanne whispered, her heart aching. “Please don’t.”
Broderick’s eyes closed for a brief moment then opened again. In that second, she saw vast pain, deep down inside him.
But if he kissed her right now, Joanne wouldn’t be able to stand it. She’d melt to him, give in like a sissy heroine with no backbone, let him take her on the ground right here.
The thought made her pulse throb and warmth flow to every part of her body. She tried to rein in her reaction. If she didn’t, she’d succumb to the confused feelings inside her, the ones that made her want to throw her arms around him and never let him go.
“Fine,” Broderick said, a growl in his throat. “I won’t kiss you.”
He pressed his hands down on her shoulders, his jaw clenched, then released her and started to walk away.
Every line of his body held anger, hurt, furious belief that he’d been right about himself in the first place.
“Damn it.” Joanne ran after him, speeding on sneakers that sprang easily on the new grass. “Broderick.”
He didn’t stop. Joanne wrapped both her hands around his wrist and held on, but still he walked, pulling her along with him. “What?” he snapped.
“Come home with me.”
Broderick’s eyes narrowed. The dark gray in them turned to silver, his wolf’s eyes. “Why?”
“Please. I need you to.”
Broderick glanced at his house, which was quiet, the doors shut, everyone inside. Joanne saw Aunt Cora in the kitchen, working on something. Aunt Cora didn’t look outside, but Joanne suspected she was fully aware of Broderick and Joanne in the yard and every move they made.
“Sweetheart, we have a maniac to catch,” Broderick began, but without as much conviction.
“We can talk about how to do it at my house,” Joanne said, her words tumbling out. “I have a better place to set up all the computer equipment, good stuff of my own to do some hacker tracking. Please, Broderick. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Nine
Broderick studied Joanne for a long time. She held her breath while the spring breeze touched her, and Broderick’s hand clenched around the medallion, working the muscle in his tattooed forearm under Joanne’s fingers.
Broderick’s eyes eased back from light silver to darker gray, and he gave her a brief nod. “All right.”
Without further argument, he started for her car. Joanne let go of him, but jogged to keep up. Broderick went straight to the car and opened the door, checking out that the car was safe—no kidnappers in the backseat or trunk—before he motioned her to get in. Broderick then got into the passenger seat and folded his arms, intending to radiate to the world that he was seriously pissed off.
Joanne would need the equipment they’d packed up from the hacker’s place. She drove around through quiet Shiftertown streets to Sean’s where the truck with all the equipment was parked. Broderick said nothing, only grunting when she explained.
Apparently, the meeting in Sean’s kitchen had dispersed after Joanne had stormed out. Seamus and Spike were a little way down the street already, walking to their respective houses, but returned when Broderick started shifting the equipment. Tiger came out from Liam’s house and helped without a word, as did Sean from his own house. No one argued with Joanne, and very quickly, she and Broderick were driving out of Shiftertown, a load of computers in her backseat and trunk.
Joanne live
d in west central Austin, on the north side of the river. She liked her neighborhood and the house she’d bought once she’d started working with IT departments to test system security—hacking for the side of light. It wasn’t a glamorous place, just an older house, long and low, on a quiet street. She had a yard with tall trees, a lawn she paid a neighbor’s kid to mow, and a view down a hill to other hills. At night, she could see the city lit up, glittering orbs of light shimmering in the darkness.
Joanne’s neighbors had seen Broderick visit a time or two and no one stared as she pulled into her driveway with him in the car. If the neighbors had been looking today, they wouldn’t have seen much, in any case. Joanne pulled into the garage, shut off the engine, and closed the door before she and Broderick started hauling computer equipment into the house.
Broderick hadn’t spoken at all on the drive, and he said nothing as he carried boxes into the back bedroom Joanne had turned into an office. Joanne was now a consultant, working for clients when they hired her, returning to her office here to set up more clients and learn more about security weaknesses between gigs. With so much file sharing, online storage, and vulnerabilities out there, she never stayed unemployed for long.
“It’s warm,” Broderick said, breaking the silence.
“Is it?” Joanne thought the temperature just right inside. “I usually don’t turn on the AC until the heat hits in May and June.”
“No.” Broderick set down the box in his arms and fixed her with his gray gaze. “I mean it has warmth, not like that empty house in the development out in the middle of nowhere. You live here. When I walk in, I know this house is all about you.”
Joanne started setting out the CPUs, her heart squeezing at the regard in his voice. “I worked hard to save the money to buy it,” she said quickly. “When Nancy and I moved to Austin years ago, we had nothing. But jobs were here, and we figured we’d survive. Of course, she took off and lived like a hippie for a while, and I screwed around before I figured out what I needed to do. But we made it. This house was my reward to myself for working hard.”
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