He laughed. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
We were close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek. This seemed to be the moment of truth and yet my nerves were getting the better of me. “What do you think about our new friends?”
A wisp of agitation washed over his features, but he didn’t pull away. “They’re intrigued by you. They obviously saw you take down the siren. I doubt they came to town specifically for you, but now that they’ve seen what you can do … they want you.”
I lifted my chin so we were staring directly into each other’s eyes. “They can’t have me.”
“I certainly hope not.” His smile spread. “They’re curious … and maybe a little leery. I think they wanted to throw you by using the word ‘witch.’ Seeing you with me makes them understand that you’re not exactly hiding who you are … or what you can do.”
It was an interesting take and I’d pretty much come to the same conclusion. “They followed us. There’s no other explanation for what they were doing there.”
“I agree. But I can’t decide if they were following me and got lucky in finding you or they were following you and had their eyes opened to reality when they stumbled across me.”
Absently, I raised my hand and pressed it to his chest. He was solid muscle and I could feel his heart beating, thick and strong. “They make me nervous. They’ve managed to sneak up on me twice. I wrote the first time off because I was busy with the siren and it was a new experience for me. I can’t write off the second time.”
He chuckled. “Are you sure? I seem to remember we were about to engage in a new experience at the exact moment our friendly neighborhood thief showed up.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong. “Yeah, but … .” My breath caught at the way he was looking at me. He was far too pretty – almost criminally so – and I hated the way he made me feel. I also loved it at the same time. It was a weird dichotomy. “You’re going to kiss me, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yeah. Nothing in the world could stop me this time. I don’t care if ten robbers show up, I’m definitely kissing you.”
That was both a relief and cause for alarm. “Maybe I don’t kiss on the first date.”
He continued to stare for a long time and then heaved a sigh. “Well, if that’s your stance, I have no choice but to respect it.” He took a purposeful step back, leaving me with nothing but disappointment once I could no longer draw on his body heat. “Eventually you’ll want to kiss me. I guess I’ll just have to wait.”
Before I realized what I was doing, I snapped out my hand and grabbed the front of his button-down shirt, hauling him back to the spot he’d occupied only seconds before. “I’ve given it some thought,” I whispered as his eyes went wide. “I definitely kiss on the first date.”
His smile turned sloppy. “Good. Then you’d better prepare yourself.” Instead of giving me the time I expected, he dipped close and pressed his lips against mine. It was as if he couldn’t wait – which was fine because I couldn’t wait either – and we collided with an explosion of hormones.
His hands tangled in my hair. I almost fell into him because of the fireworks going off in my head, my equilibrium dissipating in the flare.
It must’ve gone on for ten minutes … or maybe ten years. I guess it was possible it went on only ten seconds. I felt changed when we finally separated, both of our chests heaving.
“Well … that was interesting,” he said after a moment.
I could do nothing but laugh. “Yeah.”
He sucked in a breath, perhaps steadying himself, and then extended a hand to smooth my hair. “It was a pretty good first date.”
“Yeah.” That seemed to be the only word I could muster.
“I think we’re going to need a second date to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.”
I pursed my lips. There was that charm on full display again. “I guess I could be persuaded.”
“Good. But for now I’m going to walk you to your door and be a gentleman … and you have no idea how difficult that is for me.”
I had some idea, but I decided to play things his way. The trip was just as much fun – if not more – as reaching the destination.
I SLEPT HARD. THIS TIME no cumbersome dreams weighed me down. All I saw this particular evening were flashes of Gunner … and maybe I heard a few ridiculous moans. I was fairly certain he wasn’t a gentleman in the dream, but it was my subconscious assigning motivations, so I could hardly blame him.
I woke with a jolt, a loud pounding dragging me back to reality. I was convinced I’d imagined the sound until I looked over at Merlin and saw the hair on his back standing. The pounding came again, this time echoing throughout the small cabin. Someone was at my front door and they were unbelievably impatient.
“I’m coming,” I grumbled, rolling out of bed. I would’ve preferred hiding my head under the covers and attempting to reclaim the dream, but that seemed out of the question. I double-checked my outfit as I padded over the hardwood floors. I’d changed into simple knit shorts and a T-shirt to sleep. It wasn’t an appropriate outfit for an early-morning visitor, but I wasn’t exactly feeling gracious.
“What the … ?” I threw open the door with enough force that I hoped whoever had decided to wake me would run in the other direction. I pulled up short when I realized I was looking at the chief of police, Graham Stratton, Gunner’s father. I recovered quickly. “Good morning.”
Graham quirked an eyebrow as he looked me up and down. I could pretty much guess what he was thinking … and it wasn’t complimentary. “Nice hair,” he said finally.
I didn’t give him the satisfaction of tackling my bedhead. “That’s what happens when you wake me at the crack of dawn.”
“It’s almost eight,” he shot back. “Late night?”
I narrowed my eyes. The question felt like a trap. “Maybe. Why does it matter?”
“We have a situation and I’m trying to pin down your alibi.”
That didn’t sound good. “Oh, um … seriously?” I had no idea how to respond. This was hardly the first time I’d been questioned by the cops. “I was out with Gunner last night.”
Instead of giving me grief, Graham looked relieved. “How late?”
I racked my memory. “I guess it was almost midnight when he dropped me off.”
“Was this a date?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“I don’t care because of you. I care because I like to keep abreast of my son’s activities.”
“Does he want you to keep abreast of his activities?”
“Not so much.”
“Then … I’m not answering that. You’ll have to ask him.”
“That’s okay. You’ve already told me all I need to know. Besides, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. It was only a matter of time.”
That was possibly very flattering … or something else. “As enlightening as I find this conversation, do you have a reason for pounding so incessantly on my door this morning?”
His half-smile slipped and he sobered. “I need you to get dressed and follow me downtown.”
I was back to being alarmed. “Why?”
“Just … do as I ask. Please.”
He didn’t strike me as the sort of man who asked politely very often so I nodded. “Can you give me fifteen minutes to shower and change?”
“I’ll wait right here.”
“Great. I kept my face blank until I shut the door and then let my mind wander. What was going on here?
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR MY question to be answered. I insisted on driving myself downtown. If Graham had a problem with that, he didn’t say so. The sight that greeted me in the alley behind the library was straight out of my nightmares, and any thoughts I had of giving Graham grief quickly dissipated.
“Holy … !” I was agog when I climbed off my bike, absently pocketing my key. Through sheer habit, I remembered to remove the helmet so I could better stare
at the body.
I vaguely recognized him. He was the thief from the night before, the man who managed to escape Gunner. He was strung up between two light posts – something that seemingly defied gravity – and the insides of his abdomen were on the outside.
I swallowed hard as I stared at his face, his sightless eyes open and his mouth agape. It looked like he died screaming.
“There’s more,” Graham noted, ignoring the stares his officers shot in my direction. “You need to go around back.”
I slid him a sidelong look and swallowed hard. Something told me I didn’t want to see the back of this man, but it was important enough that Graham was playing it coy.
“Okay.” I nodded, stiffly, and then walked around the light posts. I gave the body a wide berth … and then almost fell over when I saw the travesty before me.
His shirt had been ripped, his skin bared, and someone had written a message on his back. If I had to guess, they used a small blow torch to do it. The sight made me sick to my stomach … and that was before the message sank in.
For you, Scout Randall.
That’s all it said, as if it was some sort of tribute. I generally had a strong stomach, but the notion that someone had tortured this man for me, as an offering of some sort, was more than I could bear.
“Oh, my … .” I turned away and rested my hands on my knees.
“I take it you didn’t do this.” Graham almost looked relieved. “That’s good. I don’t think my son would take kindly to me hauling you in. I would do it, don’t get me wrong, but it would be a war.”
“I’m glad you don’t have to fight with your son.” I wiped the back of my hand against my mouth, my stomach threatening to revolt. “And no, I didn’t do that. Why would I burn my name into a murder victim? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I’m not saying this makes sense. I’m just relieved you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“I could be lying,” I pointed out. “Maybe I’m trying to fool you.”
“I don’t think you’re the type who can fake a reaction like this. Besides, I didn’t really think you did it in the first place. Now the tough questions begin. Someone is trying to get your attention. Who?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? I wasn’t sure I had an answer. “I don’t know, but I’m going to handle the retribution myself when we find out.”
“We’ll just see about that.”
“Yeah, we will.”
Six
Graham instructed me to take a seat beneath the shade of a large maple tree. I wanted to leave — oh, how I wanted to run — but I didn’t think that would go over well, so I did as he instructed. Besides, I felt lightheaded. I was used to blood and gore, absolutely horrible scenes, but this felt worse.
At a certain point — it must’ve been at least an hour after I sat down — Graham joined me. He had a bottle of water and a look of concern.
“You don’t look well.”
I shot him a derisive glare. “Thanks. I can tell your son didn’t get his charm from you.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You might be surprised. But to be fair, the boy has always been magical when it comes to drawing people in.”
“Not you, though?”
“What makes you say that?”
I shrugged as I cracked the cap of the water bottle. “You just don’t seem to like him all that well.” I had no idea what made me say it, but it was easier to focus on Graham and Gunner’s tempestuous relationship than the dead body that was seemingly staring at me with accusatory eyes.
“I like him fine. He hasn’t always been the most focused kid. That’s changed the past year or so ... and I can’t say I’m not happy to see it.” His eyes were thoughtful as they roamed my face. “He seems to like you.”
“And you’re basing that on what?” It wasn’t as if he’d spent an inordinate amount of time with us — or more than five minutes, for that matter — so I was genuinely curious where he got his insight.
“I know him better than most, no matter what you might happen to believe. He definitely likes you.”
“And I’m guessing that means you don’t because you want something else for him.” Hey, we were telling truths here. It seemed best to get this out of the way.
“I wouldn’t say that.” He relaxed into an easy smile. “You have a certain way about you. I would be lying if I said your background didn’t worry me, but I guess that’s not really your fault.”
“You mean when I was abandoned at a firehouse in the middle of the night?” I couldn’t muster surprise that he’d run me. In his position, I would’ve done the same. “I don’t know. It’s always possible I did something worth being abandoned.”
“I don’t believe that. I’m sorry for what happened to you.”
He seemed serious, which caused some of the annoyance that had been building to dissipate. “Thanks, but it’s not your fault.”
“It might not be anybody’s fault. I know you’re more powerful than a normal witch. And before you ask, my son isn’t the one who told me. I have a special relationship with Rooster, and he mentioned it.”
I wasn’t surprised. For Rooster to operate the way he did — with a certain amount of impunity — he would need Graham’s blessing. “I don’t know what I am. The only thing that probably matters from your perspective is that I’m not a shifter. I’m sure you want Gunner to settle with someone from your former pack … or at least another wolf.”
He guffawed, causing me to jerk back. “Oh, please. I learned a long time ago that Gunner is going to do what he wants to do. That includes changing his name, even though it’s stupid. If he’s set his sights on you, there will be no stopping him.” He quieted for a beat before continuing. “You’re not so bad. You’ve got a mouth on you, but as far as I can tell you have the same interests and you’re unlikely to try to change him. You might be a good fit.”
That was as warm and fuzzy as I’d ever seen Graham. Maybe I’d misjudged him. “Does that mean you’ll stop giving Gunner a hard time?”
“Nope. We have our own unique relationship. I’ll stay out of your relationship with my son if you stay out of mine.”
I’d had worse offers. “Deal.” I extended my hand, causing him to chuckle.
“Deal.”
We lapsed into silence for a few minutes before the calm of the morning was interrupted by Gunner’s arrival. He didn’t look happy as he muscled his way through the cops lining the scene.
“Speak of the devil.” Graham’s eyes lit with mirth as his son stalked in our direction. “He’s angry.”
I was confused. “Why? I didn’t kill this guy.”
“Not at you. He’s angry with me for dragging you down here without giving him a heads-up. I’ve told him repeatedly that I don’t have to run my work past him, but he doesn’t seem to agree.”
“He’ll be fine.” I offered up a dismissive wave as Gunner stomped his way to the spot directly in front of me. “Good morning, Sunshine.”
He glared. “What’s going on?” The question was directed toward Graham. “I heard you brought Scout in for questioning on a murder.”
Graham was unflappable. “Who told you that?”
“The entire town is buzzing with it. For the record, she was with me last night.”
“I heard. Date night, huh?” Graham’s lips twitched as Gunner glowered at him. “I’ve already had a long discussion with Scout. The problem is, you dropped her off around midnight. This guy didn’t show up here until at least two or so. We’re still trying to pin down a time of death, so she’s not exactly covered.”
Gunner worked his jaw. “We were together all night.” The lie rolled off his lips, causing me to shift uncomfortably. Graham knew that wasn’t true.
“Don’t.” Graham extended a warning finger, his expression darkening. “This is not the time to lie to law enforcement.”
“How do you know I’m lying?”
“Scout was alone this morning when I woke her. And, while y
ou haven’t always had impeccable taste in women, you’re still a gentleman. You wouldn’t have abandoned her in the middle of the night if you were at that point in your relationship yet.”
Gunner looked as if he wanted to argue, but he held it together. “She didn’t do this. You know that.”
“I do know that.” Graham nodded in confirmation. “Before you get your panties in a twist, I was fairly certain she had nothing to do with it when I landed on her porch this morning. I still had to question her and you know that. Her name is burned into this guy.”
“What?” Confusion slid across Gunner’s handsome features.
Graham chuckled. “Did you even bother looking at the body?”
Gunner shifted his gaze to me, held it for a moment, and then he exhaled heavily before focusing on the body. I watched him for a reaction and wasn’t disappointed. I recognized exactly when he realized who had been strung up between the poles.
“Oh, geez.”
Graham stiffened at his son’s reaction. “What was that?”
Gunner didn’t immediately answer and I knew better than to fill the silence with lies.
“We saw that guy last night,” I volunteered.
Gunner glared as he swiveled, annoyance rolling off him in waves. “What are you doing?”
I waved off the question. There was no reason to start lying now. “We were on the beach and he showed up.” I related the story to Graham with cold precision, making sure to keep any emotion out of the retelling. If Graham thought I was upset about what had happened, he might change his mind about my guilt. “I wasn’t too worried about the money,” I finished. “It was only twenty bucks.”
“The money means nothing,” Graham agreed. “The fact that you guys were likely the last people to be seen near him is a wrinkle I didn’t realize I was going to have to iron. It’s bad enough that Scout’s name is burned into this guy ... but for you to have actually seen him ... .” He trailed off and I could see his mind working.
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