One Second (Seven Series Book 7)

by Dannika Dark

  I stood on my tiptoes and ran my hand over the top of the doorframe. “Why did you take the key?” I whispered.

  “Looking for something?”

  I whirled around, clutching my heart.

  Wheeler folded his arms, a smug grin on his face. He ambled forward and lowered his bearded chin, giving me a pensive stare.

  “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “You’re the nosiest woman I’ve ever met. Maybe they need privacy.”

  “In the heat house?”

  Wheeler snorted and leaned against the wall. “Why not? Three attractive men… alone…”

  I pushed at his chest. “Cut it out. You can either go back upstairs and gnaw on some jerky, or you can help me out.”

  Wheeler reached in his back pocket and retrieved a slim instrument from his wallet. “Move aside, sweetheart. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

  He slipped one end into the keyhole and worked on it for a second. When he turned his wrist, the lock clicked.

  “You’re the man,” I said in a singsong voice, patting his back.

  “I get that a lot from Naya.” He rose to his feet and tucked the instrument back into his wallet. “Don’t tell Austin I aided and abetted, or my ass is in the doghouse.”

  “No problemo,” I assured him, drifting into the room and closing the door behind me.

  Drenched in darkness, I tiptoed to the right with my arms extended until I felt the door that led to the adjoining hallway. First, I removed my boots. Then I peered into the hall to make sure the opposite door wasn’t open. There were no windows, and tiny track lights were reminiscent of a hotel.

  Harsh words barked out from behind the far door, drawing me closer. My feet moved across the floor soundlessly, and just when I reached the middle, the opposite door swung open.

  Busted.

  Austin’s stormy expression didn’t peeve me as much as the fact that he didn’t seem surprised to find me standing there.

  “Out,” he ordered.

  I put my hands on my hips. “Don’t you dare snap orders at me. I came to see if your guests were still around so I’d know how long to keep the pack upstairs.”

  His sexy brows arched, but the only look he flashed me was irritation. “And you decided to pick the lock?”

  My attention dragged downward. “Why are you barefoot with no shirt on?”

  He opened his mouth but didn’t get a word out.

  “And how did you know I was in the hall? I was in stealth mode.”

  Lorenzo appeared on his right and whispered something.

  He also wasn’t wearing a shirt.

  I glowered. “Are you guys doing what I think you’re doing in there?”

  Lorenzo’s gaze snapped up, and he howled with laughter. He wiped a tear from his eye and then moved out of sight.

  Austin’s shoulders sagged. “Come on, Lexi. But this is confidential.”

  He leaned on the doorjamb, and I sauntered toward him, a little mystified as to all the secrecy but slightly distracted by how handsome he was without a shirt. Austin was a man’s man. It was the total package—his tattoos, confidence, physique, and the way he always looked at me as if he was thinking naughty things.

  Damn, that lean.

  When I peered into the room, Austin whispered, “This is top secret, Ladybug.”

  My eyes lifted to meet his gaze. “You can trust me.”

  He nodded, assuring me he already did.

  The heat in the room overwhelmed me, as did the foul stench of body odor and sweat. I wrinkled my nose and blinked in surprise at a familiar face. “Atticus?”

  His expression grew stony, and he turned to face a painting of wolves. He must have been the one who’d alerted them I was in the hall.

  Atticus Rain was always affable when he frequented my shop, but I wondered how friendly he really was when I saw the drops of blood spattered on the floor next to the body of a nude, filthy man.

  My eyes fixed on the garment draped over the rogue’s waist. “Who put my good blanket on his dirty crotch?”

  Austin briefly turned his back to me and murmured to Prince, “Told you.”

  “What does the bitch want?” the man grumbled, his lip cut and swollen.

  Austin bent down and struck him hard with the back of his closed hand. “Disrespect my woman again, and this won’t have a happy ending.”

  It didn’t take a genius to figure out this guy was a Northerner who had made the mistake of trespassing on our property. With a Vampire on the premises, it led me to believe they were questioning him for information. Not only was it illegal, but if the Council found out, they could disband our pack, especially if Austin had involved everyone. A Packmaster protected his family, and sometimes that meant keeping secrets from them.

  “What can I do to help?” I offered.

  Prince unrolled the sleeves of his shirt. His forehead glistened with sweat since the heater had been running in a room full of hot-blooded Shifters. “We have what we need. Atticus is going to scrub him.”

  “Fuck you,” the man spat.

  Lorenzo pinched his bottom lip and slanted his eyes toward Austin. “How is the Vamp going to slip out without raising your pack’s suspicion?”

  I looked between the men and offered a solution. “If someone asks, I’ll tell them he had an appointment to speak to Austin about a job at Sweet Treats. He comes in a lot, and Trevor’s seen him.”

  Austin’s eyebrows rose high enough to touch his hairline.

  Atticus gave me an appreciative nod. “I would enjoy working for you, but I’d have to wear sunglasses. Not very professional.”

  I unzipped my jacket. “Well, I actually need a prepper to get everything ready for the next day, and our kitchen doesn’t have windows. You’re more than welcome to wear sunglasses to work; I don’t care about that kind of thing.”

  Austin held up his hands. “Wait a minute. We’re just coming up with an alibi.”

  Little did he know I was scheming to fit Atticus into my master plan. I’d been hounding Austin for years to hire a Vampire to help out in the shop. They didn’t require sleep and preferred night jobs since sunlight hurt their enlarged pupils. I had no problems with them, but Austin’s days as a bounty hunter had slanted his opinion.

  “Just trying to make it believable,” I said, waggling my brows at Austin. “Atticus wouldn’t come all the way out here to speak to you unless I’d already agreed and you were the only obstacle between him and the job.”

  Austin snagged my coat sleeve and tugged me into the hall. “Let’s go, smartass.” He glanced over his shoulder at Lorenzo. “When the Vamp’s done, send him out and lock the door.”

  I glared at Austin. “I really wish you would quit calling him the Vamp.”

  We strolled toward the house. “How are you going to get the rogue out of here without anyone asking questions? You’re just going to set him free?”

  He paused near the door. “We found out he’s with a unit of about seventy men who are scoping our property. They’re camped out several miles north of our territory lines. If we don’t return him, that might trigger something early, and I don’t want that. We’re not ready. Atticus is scrubbing his memory from the time we captured him until twenty minutes after we let him go. We need that extra time so he won’t remember the drive or else he might start piecing it together.”

  “I don’t get how Vampires do that.”

  Austin shook his head, hands in his jean pockets. “Yeah. Strange shit I’ll never understand. He’ll command the rogue not to speak, and if the pack notices us leaving, then we’ll tell them it’s Packmaster business. Let ’em assume he’s from another part of the city; I don’t care. They won’t question me.”

  “It’ll look more believable if you hire Atticus.”

  Austin leaned against the door. “Will it now?”

  “I’m serious. He comes into the shop all the time, and he’s a decent guy. Maybe it can be a trial period. Who brought him here?”

  “Pr
ince.”

  “Well, that settles it then. If Prince trusts him…”

  Austin chortled. “Ladybug, you’re a force to be reckoned with.” He reached out and smoothed his hand over my belly, a reverent look in his eyes.

  I placed my hand over his. “If this one inherits our personalities, she’s going to be the force to be reckoned with.”

  “Have you been feeling okay?”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his soft mouth. “Feeling good, but I could be feeling a whole lot better.”

  He growled, memorizing my hips with his hands.

  “Ahem,” Atticus said, clearing his throat. “I’ll just be on my way.” He moved toward us at a swift pace.

  Austin patted him on the shoulder as they went through the door. “Congratulations.”

  Our Vampire friend gave him a bemused expression. “For?”

  “You got the position.”

  Atticus looked genuinely pleased. “I mostly earn wages for that kind of work,” he said, nodding at the heat house. “But I’d like to try something normal for a change. Money isn’t a motivator since I have plenty, but if you want to pay a little extra for keeping an eye on your family, then consider me a bodyguard.” His eyes slid down to my belly. “I’m sure it would give you peace of mind to know your mate will never have a moment alone in the shop.”

  Austin pointed his finger. “If you so much as put one fang on her—”

  Atticus laughed, his eyes shaping into crescent moons. “I assure you they’ll stay retracted. Blood can be an addiction for the weak, but we both know I don’t require blood to survive. As it so happens, I haven’t had a drink recreationally for seven years now. I only do it when someone hires me to read information, but that’s a rare request since charming them does the trick most of the time. Not all Vampires are very gifted in that arena. I give you my word. I won’t use any of my gifts on Lexi, nor would I drink from her. She’s…”

  Austin’s jaw set. “She’s what?”

  I reached out and touched Atticus’s hand. “I think I know.”

  He inclined his head and left the room.

  Once Atticus was out of sight, Austin gave me a skeptical appraisal. “What was all that touchy-feely about?”

  I admonished him with a look. “Shhh. He can still hear you.”

  People had to prove themselves to a man like Austin, but I knew in time he’d warm up to our new employee.

  I released my hold and lowered my voice. “I used to think he came in for the cookies, but something else keeps him coming back. Kindness. People treat Vampires like trash because they’re afraid of them. No, maybe not them. They’re afraid of their gifts. Isn’t that the way humans treated Breed back in the day when they knew of our existence? Each time he comes into the shop, I look him straight in the eye and ask how his day’s going. I treat him like a person. That’s why he respects me. Everything’s going to be fine. It’s a good idea to have someone looking out for me when you’re not there; I can’t risk shifting with the baby. Besides, rogues wouldn’t expect a Vampire to fight for us.”

  “And you trust being alone with him day and night?”

  I chuckled and then covered my mouth before it erupted into my embarrassing Beaker laugh. “No, honey. I’m not going to make the poor man pitch a tent at Sweet Treats and sell us his soul. I only work long hours because of the prep work, and if he can do all that, I can focus on brokering deals with new clients. The Relic encouraged me to stay active.”

  “Maybe you should take a year off.”

  I tugged the belt loop of his pants. “Come on, Mr. Cole. Let’s see our guest out.”

  He popped me playfully on the behind, and I squealed, padding across the room ahead of him. I glanced over my shoulder and he stalked toward me—eyes dark with desire.

  We entered the living room and noticed Wheeler sitting on the staircase, chewing on a piece of jerky. “Who’s the fang?”

  “How did you know he was a Vamp?” I asked.

  Wheeler worked his jaw a few times and swallowed. “Nobody has eyes that black. Plus, he has that holier-than-thou walk.”

  I snorted. “You’re one to talk.”

  “So, who is he?”

  Austin opened the closet door and reached for his jacket. “Lexi’s new employee at Sweet Treats.”

  “Get the fuck out.”

  I gave Wheeler a scathing glance. “Don’t you dare come into my shop and act like a jerk. He’s a good guy, and with everything going on, he’ll be extra protection. Austin has enough to worry about.”

  “I’m sure the pack war is itching to start with a battle cry in a pastry shop,” he remarked, chewing on another bite of meat.

  “Shows what you know. You’ve never been there on a ‘buy one get one free’ day.”

  The door suddenly flew open and hit the wall. Austin shielded me with his arm, and we turned to look as a cool draft rushed inside.

  Reno filled the doorway, naked and slathered in mud.

  Wheeler chuckled darkly. “If cleanliness is next to godliness, then you’re going to hell.”

  A fat drop of mud slid off his chin and onto my wood floor. “Ben’s back.”

  I drew in a sharp breath.

  “What do you mean, Ben’s back?” Wheeler ground out.

  Austin had thrown Ben out of the pack years ago after he made a decision that subjected Wheeler to captivity and almost resulted in his and Naya’s death. I stood behind Austin’s decision because we couldn’t afford to have someone in the pack who not only might bring us down financially because of his gambling addiction, but who also had a blatant disregard for anyone’s safety except for his own. I loved Ben—we all did. We kept our doors open to him, but he never came by. Family functions were awkward, and sometimes we glimpsed him standing at a distance before he left. It broke my heart, because in all the years that had gone by, we still felt his absence.

  “Can you put something on before this turns into a long conversation?” I asked.

  Reno reached in the closet and dug around, mumbling some obscenities.

  “Don’t get our coats dirty,” I said, shielding my eyes.

  I heard coat hangers sliding around, and when the door closed, I braved a peek through my fingers. Reno had snapped open an Oriental folding fan and splayed it in front of his crotch.

  Austin looked out the window. “Where is he?”

  “Down by the creek,” Reno confirmed, rubbing at a patch of mud on his jaw. “Maybe I still got issues with the fact that Ben hasn’t given us an apology in all these years, but I don’t have anything against his wolf. My wolf forced me to shift back, so I don’t think we fought. His wolf tackled me in the mud and licked my face before I had a chance to stand up. I have to say… I’ve missed the son of a bitch.”

  “Reno Cole!” April exclaimed from the top of the stairs.

  Wheeler got up and strolled toward the window, peering through the lace curtains.

  “April, I think you need to take your man out of here before my mother sees what he’s done to her fan,” I suggested.

  Reno stopped at the foot of the stairs and fanned his face. “Yeah, princess. I think I need someone to clean me up. Why don’t you run the shower? I like it hot.”

  Her cheeks bloomed red, and she bit her lip, turning away as if flustered, but invisible sparks were flying between those two.

  While Reno ascended the stairs, I stole the space next to Austin and played with the edge of the sheer curtain. “Why do you think Ben’s wolf is here?”

  He looked at Wheeler, who turned away from the window. “He must have heard something about the pack war. Whether he knows it or not, his wolf is here to protect his family. Men have too much pride, ego, and all that bullshit that stands in the way from things getting said. Wolves just live on instinct, and we’ll always be family to him.”

  “Think he’ll stay long?”

  Austin shook his head. “I guess we’ll find out. Why don’t you shift and go join him, Wheeler?”


  “That ain’t happening.”

  “You don’t think your wolf misses his brother?”

  “The way I’m feeling about it, I think my wolf might kill him. Make sure he’s not on the property when it’s my turn to guard. ’Preciate ya.”

  After Wheeler hiked up the stairs, Prince and Lorenzo emerged from the back room with a cleaned-up version of our prisoner. They’d also given him some baggy clothes. He walked between them with a vacant look in his beady eyes.

  “It’s done,” Prince confirmed, heading out front.

  Austin shut the door behind Lorenzo and put on his coat. “I’ll be back in a bit. Make sure everyone knows about Ben’s wolf on the property. If he wants to guard, then I’m all for that. I trust his wolf more than I do him.”

  “What are you going to do with the prisoner?”

  “Drop him off at a bar up the road.”

  The door swung open, and Lorenzo’s dark eyes were blazing.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  He nodded toward the field by the house where Prince was standing. “The spineless leech of a man shifted. His wolf was confused and took off like a bullet.”

  Austin cursed beneath his breath. “In which direction?”

  “Toward the creek.”

  Chapter 13

  I followed behind Austin when he went to search for the rogue who’d escaped. We found his lifeless body lying near the creek.

  Ben’s wolf had bravely defended our territory and left us the corpse of our enemy. He’d also fled the scene. Since the pack had just returned from laser tag, it would be impossible to get them out of the house without raising suspicion, so we were left deliberating how to dispose of the corpse.

  “Why can’t we just bury him on the property?” I asked.

  Austin kicked a stone into the water and scanned the woods nearby. “They’ll pick up his scent. Unless we have an airtight bag, which we don’t, a decomposing body doesn’t go unnoticed by a pack of wolves. We’re not ready to take on seventy rogues without knowing a damn thing about them.”