by Alexis Davie
Great, Levi thought. So are nearly half of the cars in the town.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve got backup out searching the streets for the shooter. Please relay the information about the car to dispatch.”
“What do you think the shot was all about?” Officer Craig asked.
“I don’t know,” Levi lied. “But if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it was someone higher up the sales chain than Ms. Newcomb here who wanted to make damned sure she stayed quiet.”
“Makes sense,” Officer Craig said. He started to walk away. “I’ll go and call in the information about the car.”
Levi felt even more glum as he stood before the gathered pack than he had last time he had called a meeting and the pack had been reluctant to help protect Piper.
“So, Piper is quite a character, huh?” Nancy laughed before the meeting got under way. “In less than a day, she solved your little drug dealer problem. She really made you look quite inefficient, didn’t she?”
“She found out the truth quicker than I expected her to, but it’s not like I didn’t know who we were really looking for. You make it sound like I had no idea who the criminal was.”
“You realize that’s exactly how it will look when this story comes out, right?” Justin put in.
“The story isn’t coming out. I made it clear to Piper that if she talked to any journalists and the story ran, all that would happen is that Nancy would likely lose her job due to the parents putting up a fuss. She’s not going to talk,” Levi said.
“So, what’s the meeting about, then? We can find another way to keep an eye on her without needing a meeting about it,” Marley said.
“The meeting isn’t about Piper. At least not directly,” Levi said. He steeled himself for the outrage he knew would come from the pack. “There is at least one hunter in this town and we need to find him or her. Now.”
“We’ve done some digging and I’ve talked to a couple of friends of mine within the state area,” Mal said. He pulled out several photographs which he passed around. “These are the hunters that have been spotted in the area over the last few years, so if we have a hunter, chances are it’s one of those. Their names and the snippets of information we have about each of them are on the back of the photos.”
“Right. Up the search. Start going around local stores, restaurants, anywhere you can think of, and asking the business owners if they’ve seen any of these people,” Levi said.
“Wait,” Federico said. “Yesterday, you said you thought there might be a hunter in town. Today you sound like it’s a certainty. What changed?”
“I was coming to that,” Levi said. His admiration for Federico’s attention to detail was surpassed only by his irritation that this had come up a bit sooner than he had been planning to reveal it to the pack. “When I was arresting Sarah, she got shot in the thigh. She’ll be fine; it wasn’t too deep and it didn’t get her artery. I passed it off to my deputy and in my official report as likely to be someone higher up the drug supply chain than Sarah that wanted to keep her quiet. But the bullet wasn’t meant for her. It was meant for me.”
Levi pulled the silver bullet out of his pocket, which was in a plastic baggie so it didn’t make direct contact with his skin, and held it out on his palm for everyone to see.
“Shit,” Violet said under her breath. “This just got all too real.”
“Yeah. And it’s not just about Piper anymore,” Ria said. “If the hunter knows who you are, Levi, he knows who we all are. We’re going to have to be extra vigilant until he’s caught.”
7
Piper sat at the bar sipping her gin and tonic. It had been two days since she’d given Levi the photos of the drug deal she’d witnessed and the story of her arrest had broken that morning. Piper felt pretty good about herself. Not only had she proven her client’s innocence, but she’d also managed to find the real criminal. Not bad for a day’s work, she thought to herself with a wry smile. Maybe this sleepy little town wouldn’t be so bad after all. She could only imagine how hard doing the same thing in New York would have been.
Over the last two days, she’d found herself thinking of Levi on and off. His face just kept on creeping into her mind and she found herself getting wet at the thought of him. It irritated her. Levi wasn’t her type at all and she had no intention of starting anything with anyone, let alone a cop. And still, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that there was something between them, that maybe he was meant to be her mate. Her bear didn’t help. Every time she thought of Levi, her bear stirred, making her think that perhaps there was more to her attraction to him than just simple lust.
“You know that’s a crime, right?” a voice said from beside her.
“Huh?” she said, turning to look in the direction of the voice.
A man who looked to be in his late thirties stood smiling at her. He had light brown hair, wearing it not long, but not short, in a trendy cut that looked out of place in Bethany Beach. He had blue eyes and a small scar beneath one of them.
“Nursing an empty glass while sitting at the bar. It probably isn’t really a crime, but it feels like it should be, don’t you think? So just to be on the safe side, I thought maybe I could buy you another one?”
Piper couldn’t help but smile at the lame line. And it couldn’t hurt to have some company while she had another drink.
“Well, when you put it like that, I can’t really refuse, can I?” she grinned.
The man smiled back at her and then he waved down the bartender.
“A pint of Coors, please, and whatever she’s having,” he said.
“Gin and tonic, please,” Piper confirmed.
The bartender moved away and Piper smiled at the man.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m Piper, by the way.”
“Paul,” the man said.
He sat down on the barstool beside hers. The bartender brought their drinks and Paul paid him and then turned back to Piper.
“You don’t sound like you’re a local,” he said. “By your accent, I’m guessing you’re a New Yorker.”
Piper nodded, impressed.
“Guilty as charged,” she said. “I moved out here a couple of months ago.”
“Do you miss the big city?” he asked.
“Yes and no,” Piper replied honestly. “I miss the vibrancy of the city, how it was always busy, even in the dead of night. And I miss the diversity and the variety of everything. Bethany Beach is like a whole different world. It’s like there’s just one of everything, and nothing is open as late as I’d like it to be. But I do like the town itself. It’s beautiful and the people seem nice enough, if a little wary of strangers.”
She was thinking of Levi again when she talked about the locals being wary of strangers. She still hadn’t been able to put her finger on what was off about him, and what was off about the whole Nancy Maynard mess.
She realized Paul was talking and she had missed what he said. She looked a little sheepish when she zoned back in, but Paul just laughed.
“You look like I’ve made you a little homesick,” he said.
“Maybe I am a little,” she said. “Do you know this place doesn’t even have a store that’s open past eleven? I mean, that’s crazy, right?”
Paul just smiled and suddenly, Piper realized she might be offending him.
“Oh God, have I put my foot in it? You don’t own the store, do you?” she groaned.
“God, no,” Paul laughed. “I’m not from here myself. I guess I’d be classed as a tourist. I’m a writer and I know it’s a massive cliché, but I thought a small, coastal town might make an excellent setting for a book. You know, one of those small, sleepy towns that seem so picturesque from the outside, but hide some sort of sinister secret.”
“Oh, like what?” Piper giggled.
“Well, that would be telling. You’ll have to buy the book to get the secrets,” he winked.
“Oh, how mysterious,” Piper grinned.
Paul
looked around as though making sure he wasn’t being overheard.
“Just between you and me, the truth is, I haven’t worked out what exactly the sinister secret is yet,” he smiled.
“Maybe you could have some sort of rampage because someone was craving a chocolate bar after eleven,” Piper joked.
“Now there’s an angle I hadn’t considered. Chocoholics going berserk,” Paul laughed.
“I hope I get a mention in the credits as your inspiration,” Piper said.
“Sure and then if it’s a hit, it’s because I am an expert storyteller. And if it bombs, it’s because your idea was too far ahead of its time,” Paul laughed.
“See? You have it all worked out,” Piper said.
“I wish I did,” Paul said. “All I have so far is a lawyer moves here and ends up uncovering the secret. The sheriff isn’t too pleased about it and they end up in a battle over the secret. Don’t worry, it’ll be better than it sounds.”
His words made Piper think of Levi again. Was it possible this town had some dark secret and Levi was afraid she would uncover it? She dismissed the idea as ridiculous. He was just one of those cops who wanted a suspect, any suspect. Nothing more sinister than that, although in Piper’s mind, accusing someone innocent of a crime to keep your stats up was sinister enough.
“Anyway, enough about me,” Paul smiled. “What do you do?”
“You’re not going to believe this now,” Piper smiled back, “but I’m a defense lawyer.”
“No way,” Paul said, shaking his head.
“Way,” Piper said. “I opened a small practice when I first came here.”
“Well, I know where to come if I ever get sued,” Paul said.
“Nah, you’d want a civil lawyer for that. I’m a defense lawyer. I’m the one you come to if you get arrested.”
“Hopefully I won’t be needing your services, then,” Paul said. He nodded to Piper’s glass. “Would you like another one?”
Piper hadn’t realized her glass was almost empty. She was enjoying Paul’s company and she decided she would have another one. The thing was, though, as sweet and funny as Paul seemed, she didn’t find him remotely attractive and she didn’t want to give him the wrong idea by letting him continue to buy her drinks.
“Sure, but it’s my round,” she said.
She waved to the bartender and ordered two more drinks before Paul could object. When the bartender brought the drinks over, Paul tried to pay, but Piper had seen his move coming and she handed the bartender the money quickly before Paul had a chance.
“I would have got them, you know,” Paul said.
“It was my turn,” Piper said. “I like to pay my way. Besides, aren’t you one of those struggling artists?”
She grinned at Paul who shook his head. He picked his drink up.
“Well, thanks,” he said. “But for the record, I prefer to think of myself as a best-selling author who gets six-figure advances.”
“Really?” Piper said, impressed.
“Yup,” Paul confirmed. “I mean, I’m not one, but that’s how I really like to think of myself.”
Piper shook her head and they both laughed. She looked up as the door to the bar opened and Levi came strolling in. Piper felt her stomach clench at the sight of him in trendy ripped jeans and a pale blue shirt. She had to admit that he looked hot.
Her bear stirred within her, trying to convince her to go for it with Levi. She ignored her bear. Even with all of the practical objections out of the way—him being a cop, her not dating cops, him clearly disliking her—he was a human and she wasn’t in the habit of dating humans. Her immortality just made everything complicated, and the one time she had gotten attached to a human and told him the truth about herself, he had freaked out. She had learned her lesson and she wasn’t about to make that mistake again.
Levi spotted Piper at the bar and smiled. Piper smiled back, ignoring the way her core stirred at Levi’s sexy smile and the way his shirt gave her a good view of his pecs. His eyes moved to Paul beside her, and for a moment, Piper was sure he looked angry, but if he had, he hid it well almost instantly, leaving Piper believing she had only imagined the look.
Levi headed straight for Piper. Piper thought she saw Paul bristle beside her as Levi approached. He probably thinks that’s my husband or something and there’s about to be a shit ton of trouble, Piper thought to herself.
“Piper, do you have a minute?” Levi smiled when he reached the bar.
Piper tried to ignore how his smile made her feel warm inside. She nodded, trying to play it casual.
“Could we maybe talk outside?” he asked.
Piper resisted the urge to sigh. She was tempted to say no, but she wanted to know what he had to say and so she nodded again, a little more reluctantly this time.
“Excuse me a moment, please,” she said to Paul.
Piper couldn’t help but notice the animosity bristling between Levi and Paul. She shrugged it off. It was really none of her business.
“I’ll be here,” Paul said. “Just shout if you need me.”
Piper thought that was a strange thing to say, but she smiled and nodded at Paul before following Levi outside.
“What’s this about?” she asked as they stepped outside into the street where the light of the day was just starting to fade.
“I just have a few more questions for you about the heroin dealer thing,” Levi said.
“And you couldn’t have told me that inside?” Piper asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s confidential, Piper, as I’m sure you’re aware,” Levi said.
“Fine,” Piper sighed. “I’ll come by the station tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Actually, I’d prefer it if you would come down to the station now,” Levi said.
“Are you kidding me? It’s after nine, Levi, and in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been drinking. Now really isn’t a good time for this,” Piper said, trying to keep her temper.
“Look, Piper, I need to ask you some questions about this case now. Please don’t make me arrest you,” Levi said, talking to her as though he were talking to an idiot.
Piper couldn’t help but snort out a derisive laugh.
“There are two problems with that, Levi. Firstly, you’re not even on duty…”
“I’m a cop, Piper. I’m always on duty,” Levi interrupted her.
“Fine. Whatever. But the second problem still stands. I’m not doing anything illegal. Unless I missed the part where it’s illegal for an adult to have a drink in this state?” Piper said.
“If you refuse to accompany me to the station, then you’re perverting the course of justice,” Levi said.
“That’s rich coming from the guy who arrested pretty much the first female he saw based on nothing except a very sketchy description,” Piper said.
“That’s it. I’m sorry, but you were warned,” Levi said.
He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
“Piper Lee, I’m arresting you…”
“Fine. I’ll come with you. Just let me go and tell Paul I have to leave,” Piper said.
“No. You’ll come right now, or these are going on. And I’ll make damned sure that word gets out that our town’s newest lawyer got arrested,” Levi said.
“For fuck’s sake. You know, some people shouldn’t be given even so much as a grain of power. Where’s your car?” Piper huffed.
“Right here,” Levi said, pointing to a blue car parked outside of the bar’s entrance.
He moved toward the car, unlocking it as he approached it.
“Are you going to be trouble, or can I trust you to sit up front like a civilized person?” Levi asked.
Piper ignored him, moving to the car and opening the passenger side door herself. She got in, trying and failing to work out what the hell this was all about. Levi got in the driver’s side. He put the car in gear and pulled away, whistling the whole time. Piper looked at him out of the corner of her ey
e. He kept whistling, acting as though he couldn’t feel her eyes on him, although she suspected that he could.
They arrived at the station and Levi led Piper through to his office where he told her to take a seat.
“We’re not going into an interview room?” Piper asked sarcastically.
“Nope,” Levi said, ignoring the sarcasm. “I thought we could try doing this the friendly way.”
“Do you not think we left that option behind when you threatened to arrest me for no good reason?” Piper asked.
Up until that moment, Piper had always been wary of cops, but deep down, she’d thought most of them really were the good guys, and she had always thought the small-town cop who hated on lawyers for no good reason was just something that cropped up in bad movies. She had never expected to meet that guy personified.
“I did have a good reason. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I’m not at liberty to share that reason, and I really hope you can at least try to trust me on this,” Levi said.
Something in his tone sounded genuine and Piper sighed.
“Fine,” she said. “Well, now that you’ve got me here, what do you want to ask?”
Levi spent the next thirty or so minutes questioning Piper. When the questions stopped, Piper knew for certain there was something going on here, something she was missing. Because not one of Levi’s questions revealed anything he didn’t already know. None of them even seemed designed to do that.
“Thanks for your time, Piper. You’re free to go. I can give you a ride home if you want me to,” Levi said.
“That’s it?” Piper said.
Levi nodded.
“And you’re not going to tell me what that was all about? Because I might not be a detective, but I’m no fool, and you haven’t asked me anything that you don’t already have the answer to,” Piper said.
“I just wanted to make sure all of the facts were straight,” Levi said.
“Yeah, right,” Piper said.
“Look, Piper, I’ve told you I’m not at liberty to tell you anything else about this. Now, I want to go home for the night. So you can either do the same, or I can lock you in a cell overnight. It’s completely your call. Which will it be?”