Wild Angels

by Bethany Brown

“Um, guys?” Jack’s voice trailed back to them from where he was, up ahead of them.

  “A little busy right now,” Patrick replied.

  “Yeah, well, you seem to have attracted the bear.”

  The flat, tense tone of Jack’s voice caused Patrick to stop arguing and turn around. The bear was no longer looking at Hallie’s small, huddled form. Instead, it was looking at them. Apparently the argument was more exciting to the bear than Hallie’s whimpered cries.

  “Run?” Julian suggested, fingers tight on Patrick’s bicep.

  That was sounding like a better and better idea to Patrick, especially as the bear reared up on its hind legs and roared, the sound echoing through the forest. It was easily eight or nine feet tall standing like that, and it looked, well, hungry.

  Then it dropped back to all fours and charged toward them.

  Before Patrick could even start to panic, a loud shot rang out. Patrick watched in shock as blood arced from the animal’s head as it dropped to its side on the ground. Ignoring the rather distressing dying sounds from the animal, Patrick turned slightly and saw Jack standing a few yards away, the smoking gun still held to his shoulder. He had to admit that the man looked hot, especially considering that he had just saved all of their lives.

  Patrick just managed to get his fingers around the rifle as Jack passed it to him. He hissed slightly as his hand wrapped around the hot barrel. Patrick watched as Jack stormed over to Hallie and pulled the terrified young girl into his arms. Her tiny hands fisted into his jacket as she clung to him and cried. Patrick turned, still holding both guns, and faced a rather stunned-looking Julian. “Um, you might want to radio this in, Ace.”

  “Radio, right.” Julian raised the radio that he had been holding in his hand the entire time and called in their location.

  Things moved rather quickly after that. Patrick could hear the excited voices on the radio. By the time that they finished questioning Julian, Jack had made his way back to them with Hallie in his arms. She seemed to have stopped crying, but it didn’t look as though she would be letting go of Jack any time soon. Patrick was actually impressed that Jack could breathe with the way that Hallie’s arms were wrapped around his neck. Julian immediately moved over and began to give the small child a cursory exam. Well, as much as he could, considering she wouldn’t let go of Jack.

  “She okay?” Patrick asked. He fumbled slightly to get his own gun away, and when he had a hand free, he gently placed it on Hallie’s back. He could feel her trembling.

  “She’s scared,” Jack replied. He shifted the small girl in his arms.

  “I’m not scared.” The tiny voice was raspy from crying, but Hallie pulled her head far enough away from Jack’s neck to give him a dirty look. With her head finally out of hiding, Julian darted forward to take a look at her pupils. Hallie included the doctor in the dirty look she was giving his lover.

  Tough kid. Patrick laughed and ran his hand over her hair. “You’ll be just fine, Sprocket.”

  “Of course I will.” Hallie gave a tiny snuffle and wiped a small hand across her face. “When can I see my Daddy?”

  The three men were spared having to answer that question by the arrival of the cops, some EMTs, and most of the town. Everyone wanted to see for themselves that the little girl was all right. Patrick watched as Jack had to talk Hallie into going with the paramedics. Once the little girl was safe in the hands of the professionals, Jack moved back to them and pulled Julian into his arms. Watching them hold each other, Patrick wished that Brad was there. He really wanted someone to hold him.

  “Patrick?”

  Patrick turned to see Nathan standing next to him. “Hey, Nathan. Something I can do for you?”

  Nathan nodded toward the rifle still in Patrick’s hands. “Did you shoot that bear?”

  “No, that was Jack.” Patrick gave the other cop a weak smile. “I’m just holding the literally smoking gun.”

  “It doesn’t look like it’s smoking.”

  “It was when he tossed it to me.” Patrick nodded toward the commotion. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “They seem to think so.” Nathan sighed. “I hate to do this to you, but I need you to come down to the station so I can get a statement.”

  “I know. Um, do you want me to take this with me?” Patrick bit his lower lip and hefted the gun that he was still holding.

  “Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.”

  “After you,” Patrick stated. He used the rifle to indicate that Nathan should lead the way. Giving one last look to the little girl who was surrounded by people who loved her, Patrick set out after Nathan.

  I wish just one person would care about me that much.

  “Oh, good, you’re here.”

  Julian nodded, exhausted. He hadn’t slept properly since before Hallie had wandered off and gotten lost in the rain. Now that she’d been found, dread of the work waiting for him here in the coroner’s lab was keeping him awake at nights. He looked up when Roxanne smiled wanly and handed over a manila folder. “What have you got for me?”

  “Toxicology reports came back from the lab,” Roxanne explained, leading him down the hallway. She swiped her access card to allow them into the morgue area and turned into the tiny office. “They don’t mean much to me, and Dr. Matheson’s flight doesn’t come in for another three days. We were hoping you might have some insight for us.”

  Julian slid the folder onto the desk and dropped into the chair. “I’ll give it a shot. This isn’t exactly my area of expertise.”

  “No. But we need to know if there’s any evidence that Patricia Raintree was murdered.” Roxanne sighed, leaning both palms on the desk. “And if Roy had anything to do with it.”

  Privately, Julian didn’t think so, but he wasn’t about to draw any conclusions from his own subjective experience. Not until he’d had a chance to examine the tox report and correlate with a reexamination of the body. “Did you get her medical records like I’d asked?”

  Roxanne nodded. “Her family doctor is forwarding all of her charts. Nathan should have it printed for you in a few minutes.”

  Julian exhaled loudly. “Okay. I guess I should take a look at this, then.” He opened the folder, feeling a tension headache building just behind his eyes.

  He stared.

  “Julian? Is something wrong?”

  “I… no,” he answered, closing the folder again. “Do me a favor and let Jack and Patrick in, then meet me in the lab?” He’d left them waiting outside, not expecting to get results this complicated. “I want to bounce some ideas off of you, and it’ll work better for me if everyone’s there.”

  “If you say so. I’ll be right back.”

  Julian picked up the documents and headed to the autopsy lab, wanting to check a few more details of the body’s condition before he announced his suspicions.

  “Hey, Doc?”

  Julian looked up. Nathan was standing in the doorway with another folder. “Roxanne said you were looking for these.”

  “Yeah, bring them over,” he said absently, tossing the files into a pile on the cabinet. “And then can you give me a hand over here?”

  “With what?”

  Julian pulled open the drawer with the Raintree body in it.

  “Sorry I asked.” Nathan sighed, walking over. Julian pointed him over to a box of latex gloves, and they both snapped on a pair.

  “I need you to help me turn the body.”

  “Okay, wow, if possible, even sorrier.” Nathan grimaced.

  “On my count,” Julian instructed, and together they turned the body over.

  “What exactly is the point of this?” Nathan asked.

  “I’ll fill you in when everyone else gets here.”

  They didn’t have long to wait. A minute later the door opened and admitted the rest of the Scooby gang. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” Patrick said, “but what the hell, Ace?”

  “Bear with me,” Julian asked. “Pardon the pun.”

  “Oh
, no,” Jack said. “Really?”

  “It’s just a hunch,” he shrugged. “Okay, here’s my thought. According to the blood sample we sent in, Patricia Raintree was clean, nothing in her system that you wouldn’t expect. But there’s another way to check for long-term usage.” He sighed. “According to the hair sample we sent in—and her medical records corroborate—until two weeks or so ago, Patricia Raintree was on some powerful antipsychotics.”

  “She was going through withdrawal?”

  “Not just that. She stopped taking her drugs against the advice of her psychiatrist. She would have experienced not only withdrawal but severe depression and maybe even hallucinations, depending on what her symptoms were before she started treatment.”

  Roxanne frowned. “So she could have just been sick, wandered off, and hit her head?”

  “I have a theory about that, actually.” Julian lifted the sheet to expose the back of the body. Four deep claw marks were scored across her shoulder blades. “She sustained these injuries antemortem. Does this remind anyone of a paw?”

  “Your theory is the bear, what? Pushed her? Bears aren’t normally that aggressive.”

  “Not normally, no,” Julian agreed. “We still have the one Jack shot in the freezer, right?”

  “And I reiterate my ‘oh no’,” Jack said.

  “Twenty bucks says your rabid bear had a really tasty last meal,” Patrick put in.

  Jack said, “That is vile.”

  “Yeah, you get used to it.”

  “So, based on your observations, can I release Roy Klein or what?”

  “He didn’t do this.” Julian pulled the sheet back up over the body. “Whatever other shortcomings he might have, Roy’s no killer, and he sure as hell wouldn’t do anything to put his daughter in danger.”

  Roxanne’s body relaxed visibly. “Thank God, I really didn’t want to have to call child services.”

  “Yeah. I’ll let Roz know; she can drop Hallie off at home later today.” Julian leaned his head into Jack’s shoulder and sighed. “I’ll be so glad when all this is over.”

  Chapter 15

  It had been a week since Hallie had been found, and Brad thought that things were finally getting back to normal. Well, as normal as they could get in a world where he had a boyfriend. He still couldn’t believe it sometimes. That after years of denying the attraction he felt for men, not only was he in a pseudo-relationship with one, he was the happiest he ever remembered being. Brad glanced out from behind the bar and smiled. The reason for his newfound happiness seemed to be having a good time.

  It was Saturday night, and Brenda’s was as busy as always. Jack was singing. Julian was sitting at the bar next to Patrick’s empty barstool. The minute the customers noticed that Patrick was showing up every day to see him, they had started leaving him a barstool. No matter how busy the bar got, there was always an empty stool waiting for him.

  Patrick was dancing. With Roz.

  Brad had to admit that they looked good together. So good, in fact, that if he hadn’t known that Patrick was one hundred percent gay, he would have been jealous. Patrick’s arms were resting on Roz’s hips, and Roz had the back of her slender, toned form pressed against Patrick’s chest. Watching the way they moved together in Brenda’s, Brad wondered what they would be like in an actual dance club. It would most likely be downright indecent.

  Julian cut in and Roz spun to the bar, laughing. She smiled at Brad as she leaned on her elbows. “Wanna dance?”

  “With you?”

  Roz cocked an eyebrow at him. “I’m asking, aren’t I?’

  “Uh, sure. Why not,” Brad replied. Checking to make sure that everyone sitting at the bar was taken care of, Brad stepped out from the relative safety of the back of the bar. The moment he was within reach, Roz grabbed his hand and pulled him into the throng of bodies. Brad stumbled for a moment and then found the rhythm. He spun Roz around in a circle a few times and then pulled her close and continued to dance.

  “So, you and Patrick, huh?”

  Brad felt a small blush start to creep across his cheeks. “Yes.”

  “What’s he like in bed?”

  “Roz!” Brad felt his blush darken as he stared at her in shock.

  Roz laughed. “Come on, I’m curious.” Roz tilted her head to see where Patrick was dancing with Julian. “He looks like he would be fucking awesome in bed.”

  “Roz!”

  “Come on, Peaches, I know what you’re like in bed, why can’t I know what he’s like?”

  “Good God, woman! When did you become so nosey?”

  “Julian wouldn’t tell me. I need to get my answers from someone.”

  “I’m not going to tell you.”

  “Come on, Peaches. I’ve seen the marks you’ve been leaving on Patrick. Now tell me what the sex is like.” Roz locked her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes. “Spill.”

  Brad looked past her to where Patrick was spinning a laughing Julian around in a circle. He felt a rather goofy smile cross his face. “The sex is good.”

  Roz punched him on the arm. “Good? That’s it? That’s all you’re giving me?”

  “What? Do you want details?”

  “Yes!” She gave him a bright smile. “A play-by-play would be good.”

  “What, do you want pictures too?”

  “You have pictures? Gimme!”

  “I was kidding!”

  “Oh come on, like Patrick hasn’t posed naked for you to draw.”

  “I’m starting to not like this conversation.”

  “Please, you knew you were going to be in trouble the moment you agreed to dance with me.”

  Brad gave the woman in his arms an annoyed look. “You do have a very good point. Why did I say yes?”

  “Because you love me.”

  “Doubtful.”

  “Don’t make me kick your ass, Peaches.”

  “Take a hike, Barracuda; I want to dance with my man.” Patrick gave Roz a slight shove and dislodged her from Brad’s arms. He quickly inserted himself in the vacated space.

  “I will get you for that, Peacock.”

  “Put it on my tab.”

  Brad slid his arms around Patrick’s waist and rested his head against the detective’s shoulder. “Thank you. The questions were starting to become uncomfortable.”

  “She wanted to know about the sex, didn’t she?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s a perv.”

  “She’s just doing it to make me blush.”

  “No, she’s a perv.” Patrick pulled away slightly and tilted Brad’s chin up. “She sent Julian a dildo for his eighteenth birthday. By courier.”

  “Are you shitting me?”

  “No. That’s how we met.”

  “That must have been interesting.”

  “Julian turns pretty colors when he’s embarrassed.” Patrick leaned forward and licked his ear. “But I like that full-body flush of yours better.”

  Brad groaned softly and buried his head in Patrick’s shoulder. He moved his arms from Patrick’s waist and ran his hands up and down his lover’s back. Patrick shuddered underneath him. Brad loved how responsive Patrick was to his touch. He nuzzled Patrick’s neck as his hands continued to map out the strong back. Patrick moaned and tilted his head to one side, a gesture that Brad recognized as him silently begging for teeth in his neck. Brad licked Patrick’s throat and then bit down gently, delighting in the way Patrick’s hands clenched in the material of his shirt.

  “Damn, Wilde Thing. The things that you do to me.” Patrick’s voice was breathy, and his hands kept clutching at Brad’s shirt.

  Brad grinned and pulled his mouth away, giving the slender throat one last lick. He let his hands rest on Patrick’s waist once again. “Sorry, couldn’t help it.” Brad cast a glance back to the bar. “I should get back there.”

  Patrick groaned. “Do you have to?”

  “Have to work, babe. Sorry.” Brad pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before extricating
himself from his lover’s arms. He squeezed Patrick’s hand briefly before heading back to work.

  The rest of the night seemed to fly by. Patrick managed to steal him for a few more dances, and he even managed a dance not full of questions with Roz. Brad waved as the last of the regulars left, and then he turned back inside. Jack, Julian, and Patrick were the only ones left in the bar. Patrick was actually helping the other two to pack up. Apparently, the other man was eager to get Brad alone. Brad had to admit that he liked the idea very much. He enjoyed being alone with Patrick.

  “Hey, you almost done?”

  Brad looked up to see Julian leaning against the bar. “Just about. You in a hurry to get home?”

  A rather wicked-looking smile crossed the normally bashful doctor’s face. “I’ll admit to having some plans for the night.”

  “Naked plans?”

  “Probably the same type of plans that you have.”

  Brad blushed. “I may have some plans.”

  “You know, Patrick was right. You really do have a cute blush.” Julian winked at him and headed over to Jack. Trying to get his blush under control, Brad turned his attention back to finishing up his closing duties. By the time he was done, he was alone with Patrick. “Jack and Julian gone?”

  “Yep.” Patrick leaned across the bar and kissed him. “I locked up after them.”

  “So I guess you’re ready to go.”

  “You taking me home with you?”

  “You know it.”

  “Then let’s get a move on,” Patrick announced. He grabbed Brad’s arm and tugged. Brad laughed and let the pressure of Patrick’s hand pull him around the bar and into the detective’s arms. He smiled as the strong arms wrapped around him and held him close. Patrick no longer needed to wear his sling all of the time, and Brad could feel the difference in the way that he was held.

  Giving Patrick a quick kiss, Brad pulled him out of the bar. Brad locked up and then turned around, finding himself once again in Patrick’s arms. He smiled at the older man and pulled him into a kiss. When he felt Patrick’s arms wrap around him, he pulled him closer. Brad grunted as the force of his pull caused Patrick to push him into the door. He wove his fingers into Patrick’s hair and licked at the seam of his lips. When Patrick opened for him, he thrust his tongue inside, twining it around Patrick’s. Brad moaned and rubbed his body against Patrick’s, tightening the hold he had on his hair. He felt Patrick’s hands on his back and was momentarily surprised to feel them against his skin. He didn’t remember Patrick getting his hands under his shirt. It was the sudden flash of cold against his back the jolted Brad out of his passion-induced haze.