Son of the Moonless Night (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3)

by C. D. Hersh

  Continuing to search in the trash, she showed no sign she heard him. Carefully, he backed out of the alley and went inside the Dew Drop. He’d show Katrina’s photo, and the one of Owen Todd, to LJ and see if she’d ever seen them in the bar.

  Relief flooded him as he spied LJ spraying and wiping a tabletop. She followed his instructions this time. From the way she leaned to the side it was clear to him, and probably the men at the next table, she eavesdropped. Half of the rough-looking characters eyed her and not in a lustful way.

  As he advanced into the bar, he called out, “Can I get my regular table?”

  When she heard his voice, LJ headed his way. “Sure thing.” Snatching a menu from an empty table, she sidled closer to him. “You’re just in time. I think they’re getting ready to end the meeting.”

  Taking the chair in the corner with his back to the wall, he sat and crooked his finger at her. The men stood and laid some bills on the table. LJ moved toward them, but he yanked her back. “Under no circumstances should you follow them,” he ordered.

  Pacing back and forth, with his hand still on her sleeve, she vacillated between him and the exiting men. “They’re getting away.”

  “Did you get pictures of them, like I asked?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “That’s all I need. I’ve got an in at the shipping yard. I can find them without putting you in danger. Show me the pictures, and I’ve got some I want you to look at.”

  They each pulled up their photos and exchanged phones.

  “Do you know either of these two people?” Hugh asked.

  “Never seen them before.”

  He tapped LJ’s phone screen and emailed the pictures she had taken to his account.

  As the last man left, she sighed and dropped onto a chair at the table. “Taking pictures and reporting to you is all I’ve done. When do I get to see the real action?”

  “I told you before, LJ, P.I. work isn’t only action. It’s reconnaissance and waiting and putting clues together. I don’t have time to worry you’re getting into situations I can’t rescue you from.”

  “You’re just saying that because I’m a woman. I can take care of myself, you know.” She shoved the menu at him indicating, with a jab of her index finger, he should order.

  He captured her jerking hand. “I’m saying it because I care.”

  Her hand stilled, and the pout on her face melted into a saucy smile. “Enough to go out dancing again with me?”

  He remembered the feel of her in his arms, the heat that raced between them, and her proposition to him.

  “Dancing again would be great.”

  “Or we could start the night where we left off?”

  “You propositioning me again?”

  “If you wanna dance . . .” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper, “. . . the horizontal mambo. Then yes.”

  The thought of the horizontal mambo with her made him shift in his seat. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out against her persistent pursuit of him. Wasn’t sure how much longer he wanted to hold out.

  “How about—”

  Her question got interrupted as the man he’d seen with her the other day came in the bar. One of the other servers hollered, “Your sugar daddy’s here, LJ.”

  A jolt of jealousy shot through him when the man cast a proprietary glance her way. “Yes,” Hugh said quickly. “I’ll go out with you and do whatever you want. If you don’t wait on lover boy over there.”

  The man nodded at her, indicating she should come. “I gotta,” LJ said. “He expects me and so does Cookie.” She leaned toward Hugh, giving him an enticing view of her cleavage. “But my heart won’t be in it. I’ll be thinking of you.”

  “Think of me while you’re standing upright,” he said. “Lover boy doesn’t need to ogle the goods if you’re just leading him on.”

  “He tips better when I lean over. I gotta pay for school somehow.”

  Withdrawing his wallet, he slapped a fifty on the table.

  LJ scooped it up and tucked it between her breasts. “I can stand up for that.”

  “See that you do,” he growled.

  Pursing her lips, she gave him an air kiss, then practically skipped away from the table. Man, he was in deep now.

  “Cheeseburger and a beer,” he called to her retreating back.

  She raised her hand and waved an acknowledgment, then sashayed over to the other man’s table. True to her word, she stood ramrod stiff, which wasn’t such a great suggestion, because her tight posture showed off her curves even more. Lover boy took in the view like it was meant for him.

  As she turned to leave his table, he gave her butt a pat. Yelping, LJ jumped, turned, and spoke. When she left, the man shot a meaningful, and extremely displeased, stare at Hugh. Grabbing the menu, lover boy sank down behind the plasticized pages. From the arrows shooting from the man’s eyes, Hugh figured LJ just told him of their relationship . . . at least the one she apparently desired and he, against his better judgment, had jumped into. Women sure complicated things.

  Suddenly, lover boy sat upright and swiveled on his seat, looking around the bar anxiously. Hugh followed his motions as his gaze landed on every customer. What was he searching for?

  Four squawks, Rhys’ signal, sounded in his earpiece. He went outside to help the hawk, whom he found hopping around on the ground only feet from the door. As soon as he saw him, the hawk flew onto his arm. When he’d removed the transmitter, Rhys dove into a darkened doorway, shifted, and came out running toward the bar. Hugh followed him.

  The moment Rhys entered, LJ’s boyfriend bolted and ran toward the kitchen, nearly knocking a tray of food out of a server’s hand. Rhys charged after him and ran headfirst into LJ exiting the kitchen. They did a little side-to-side tango, and then he spun around and ran out the front door, dashing past Hugh so fast he nearly knocked him over.

  “What is it?” Hugh asked when he’d caught Rhys.

  “A shifter. A very bad shifter. The man who ran out the back, do you know him?”

  “Some rich dude who comes in and flirts with one of the servers.”

  “I sensed him the minute I landed.”

  “Just before I got your call, he suddenly got jumpy,” Hugh said. “Started looking around. Checking out the customers. Do you think he knew you were outside?”

  “Probably. It’s not quite thirty feet from the door to his table. I only got a glimpse of him, but he had a very black aura with streaks of dark red. Not a good sign. What does a shifter want with a bar server?”

  “From the looks he gives her, I’d say sack time.”

  “Do I hear a hint of jealousy?”

  “She’s helping me with my investigation. I feel responsible for her.”

  “From the scowl on your face when you said sack time, I’m not buying that. You want her.”

  “Is it that obvious?” Hugh asked.

  “It is to me.” Rhys wheeled around toward the door. “He’s gone now. Might as well go see what she knows.”

  “You think he’s connected to the case?”

  “Every shifter, with as black an aura as his, is connected to what’s wrong in this city.”

  LJ brought Hugh’s drink over as soon as he and Rhys sat down.

  Rhys didn’t waste any time with small talk. “Who’s the man who left by the kitchen door?”

  Propping her hands on her hips, LJ demanded, “Who wants to know? You a cop or something?”

  “This is my associate, LJ. Rhys Temple. Former Cleveland homicide detective, currently working as a private eye.” He knew the last words would carry enough weight to cause LJ to spill anything she might know about the man. Things she might not tell him because she thought he was asking as a jealous suitor.

  LJ cocked
her head to the side and stared at Rhys with suspicion. “Former cop? You get kicked off the force or something?”

  “Wife got promoted. I had to leave the force or go to another division. I left and took over her deceased uncle’s P.I. practice.”

  LJ scooted a chair out from the table and dropped onto it. “Got any openings? I want to be a P.I.”

  Hugh kicked Rhys under the table and shot him a warning glance.

  “It’s pretty much a one-man operation. Besides, I understand you’re helping Hugh. I couldn’t take you away from him. You’re invaluable.”

  She actually preened, all of her previous suspicion and hostility disappeared. “So what did you ask me?”

  “Who is the man who ran out when I entered?”

  “He says his name is John. But I’ve never seen anything like a credit card which would prove it. He pays in cash. Always. Leaves great tips.”

  “Does he ask you questions?” Rhys asked.

  “Sure. Will I go out with him? Am I married? He’s says I’m pretty and compliments me all the time.” Her gaze cut to Hugh. “Unlike some other fellas I know.”

  “Anything besides pick-up lines?” Hugh asked.

  Sticking her lower lip out in a pretty pout, she said, “You could learn something from him.”

  “Aren’t you complimenting the lady enough?” Rhys asked him. “A fine-looking woman like this needs to know she’s appreciated.”

  More preening. LJ sighed and leaned in toward Rhys. “I like your friend, Hugh. He’s nice.”

  Connecting with Rhys’ shin under the table a second time, Hugh growled under his breath, “Back off, buddy.”

  Grinning, Rhys turned his full attention to LJ, who looked like she might swoon onto the table. “Tell me anything you can remember. Doesn’t matter how little. I want to know everything.”

  “He’s rich. Wears nice cologne. He likes jewelry. Has a gold ring with a green stone, speckled with red. I asked him about it once. He said it wasn’t expensive, but had been his dad’s. Passed down in the family over the centuries. Centuries is a long time, don’t you think? I’d think by now it would be worth a boatload of money.”

  “You’re babbling,” Rhys said gently.

  “Oops. Sorry. He’s high class. Uses all these high faluting phrases which make him sound British. I like British. Guess that’s why I find him interesting.”

  “Sheesh,” Hugh said in a disgusted voice.

  Rhys signaled him to be quiet.

  “He calls me my dear all the time. My dear girl,” she intoned. “That’s how he says it. ‘My dear girl, that’s precisely why I find you so fascinating. My dear girl, if you were mine I’d treat you like a princess.’”

  “He said that to you?” Hugh blurted out, unable to hold his tongue any longer.

  LJ blinked at him like a startled bird. Then her gaze swiveled between him and Rhys, like she suddenly didn’t know what was going on. “Said what?” she asked.

  “He’d treat you like a princess. Did he offer you the crown jewels, too?”

  Glaring at him, LJ replied, “No, but he did offer the family jewels on several occasions. That’s more than some fellas have ever wanted to give me. They mostly just want to give me the business.”

  For one long, incredulous moment, he stared at her as laughter bubbled from deep inside. Then, unable to stop himself, he reared back in his chair and burst out laughing. A red-faced LJ shot from her chair. Rhys grabbed her arm before she could leave.

  “Ignore him,” he commanded. “He’s an idiot.” Urging her back down to the chair, he quietly said, “I think he was giving you the business with the family jewels talk.”

  LJ’s eyes widened in realization. “Not those jewels. Real diamonds and stuff. I don’t want those family jewels.” Her gaze swung to Hugh. “Not his, and certainly, if you’re going to make fun of me, not yours.”

  Stuffing his laughter down, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun.”

  “I don’t believe you.” She rose and pinned him with a glare that pierced him like a snake’s fang. “Our date is off, mister.” Then she strode away, shoving chairs into the tables as she passed by them.

  “Wait, LJ. I’m sorry.” He scampered from the table to follow her, but Rhys stopped him.

  “You can make up later. We’ve got bigger problems to deal with than your wrecked love life. Anyway, she needs to cool off.”

  “Bet she doesn’t bring my cheeseburger, either. And I’m hungry.”

  Rhys stood and jerked his thumb toward the entrance. “I’ll fix us a sandwich back at the house where we can talk more privately about what LJ told me.”

  “You learned something from that gibberish?”

  “More than you’d ever guess.”

  Hugh and Rhys had no sooner gotten into the car when Rhys’ cell rang.

  “It’s Eli,” he said, as he looked at the caller ID. “What’s up, Eli?”

  Hugh could hear the excitement in the muffled sound of Eli’s voice and when an expletive burst from Rhys, he knew something had happened.

  “We’ll be right there. Don’t leave her side, old man.”

  “Leave whose side?”

  “Alexi’s. She’s been attacked again. Take a left here. She’s in ER at University Hospital.”

  “How badly is she hurt?”

  “They’re assessing her now.” Rhys slammed the car dash with the palm of his hand. “Eli said they took her down at the shopping mall. Outside Baby Boutiqueland.”

  “What was she doing at Baby Boutiqueland?”

  “If I know Alexi, probably pricing baby beds. We’re expecting.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rhys turn and look at him.

  “You didn’t hear that. Understand?”

  Making a zipping motion in front of his mouth, Hugh said, “Hear what?”

  “I should have never let her out of the house.”

  “Like you could stop her?” He laughed. “The woman’s got a mind of her own.”

  “Don’t I know. Can’t you drive any faster?”

  “Not without risking a speeding ticket.”

  As soon as they hit the ER parking lot, Rhys jumped out and rushed into the hospital. Hugh managed to get in the door just as Rhys disappeared into the corridor leading back to the ER rooms. Increasing his pace, he slid through the double doors on Rhys’ heels and followed him to where Alexi sat propped in a hospital bed. Once Hugh knew she was alive, he started to duck out of the room.

  “Wait,” Alexi called. “Don’t leave, Hugh.”

  “You think Rhys won’t read you the riot act in front of me?” he asked with a laugh.

  “No. You need to hear what’s going on.”

  “Shifters?” Rhys asked.

  “Yeah. Same thing as before. I didn’t sense them or see them until they were literally on top of me. I managed to get both of them cuffed, but not before they knocked me down a couple of times.”

  “Have they checked you for broken bones?” Rhys asked.

  “I don’t have any.” She touched a bruised place on her face. “I look worse than I really am. But before the x-ray I had to tell them about the pregnancy, because of the baby.” She sighed before continuing, “It’s in the records now. What’s in the records could become public. If the wrong people get their hands on it . . .”

  “Wrong people?” Hugh asked. “What does that mean?”

  “There’s those who wouldnae be happy if they knew the two most powerful shifters were making a family,” Eli said.

  “Who’d want to hurt you?” Hugh asked.

  “Sylvia,” Alexi said. “She’s tried to kill me before.”

  “Or Falhman,” Rhys suggested. “He’s probably not happy after what happened with me
.”

  “But who’d want to harm a baby?”

  “It may nae be just a babe.”

  Not a baby? Makes no sense. “So, what? She’s giving birth to a hawk?” Hugh jerked a thumb at Rhys. “Because he’s one?”

  “Eli?” Alexi said as horror flooded her face.

  “Dinna worry, lassie. ’Twill be a babe. A beautiful, perfect bairn.” Eli grasped Hugh by the arm. “’Tis o’ the utmost importance, laddie, that ye swear by all ye hold holy tae keep this secret. Our world canna know there’s a wee shifter with the blood o’ the most powerful three lines o’ the shifter world running through his tiny veins.”

  He swung his gaze between the three shifters, uncertain of what to say. When the expectant, and demanding, expression on all three faces didn’t waiver, he finally said, “I swear. I won’t say a word.”

  “Guid.”

  “Did the two of you have any better luck tonight than me?” Alexi asked, shifting the focus off herself.

  “I don’t know about luck, but it was strange,” Hugh said.

  “He had a fight with his girl,” Rhys said with a grin.

  “Only because you did something to her.” He turned and looked at Alexi. “She nearly swooned over him. What’s with that?”

  “He has that effect on women. Part of his Promised One charm,” Alexi said. “Don’t take it personally. I don’t anymore.”

  “Have ye anything o’ consequence tae report, or were ye both busy playing Cupid?”

  “We discovered Katrina Romanovski is seeing a shifter. Someone named Owen Todd.”

  “Who apparently has an electronic key to a warehouse at WK Shipping.” Hugh pinned Alexi with a pointed stare. She’d been holding back on him. He knew now.