Colin: McCullough's Jamboree - Erotic Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance (McCullough's Jamboree Book 1) (22 page)

“Miss Farley, you’re only making this harder on yourself. We know that Josh Savage isn’t your nephew, and we also know that he’s with you. Just tell us where you have him and we’ll let you go on your way.” Reese said nothing but kept her hands were they could all see them if they were inclined. “Why don’t you step out of the rig and we’ll talk.”

“Am I in trouble?” The man said nothing, and she didn’t move. “I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that. I’m not going to move out of here until you tell me what you’re talking about.”

Two men that she knew from years on the road came out of the diner she’d just been in. They were big burly men, both of them tatted up from head to foot and actually just as kind and cuddly as a kitten. But they were also not ones to be fucked with.

“You all right, honey?” Bone, the man that she’d only just found out his name, came up to lean on her door. He wasn’t moving, she thought, and looked at the man behind him. Suit wasn’t impressed. “He bothering you?”

“He wants me to get out of my rig, and he thinks I have someone with me. When I asked if I was in some sort of trouble, I didn’t get an answer.” Bone turned to look at Suit. “The other two are at my passenger door.”

“Doug has them.” She didn’t even look. If Bone said they were with Doug, then she was pretty sure they weren’t going to be opening her door any time soon. “And we’ve called in the law. Don’t care much for them myself, but they might have a thing or two to say to these dick heads.”

“This has nothing to do with you gentlemen. I would really appreciate it if you left us to our business.” Bone only looked up at her with a wink. “Did you hear me?”

“I heard you just fine as a matter of fact. I don’t give two shits, but I heard you.”

Bone looked down the road, and Reese looked in her mirror to see what he was looking for. Dust was flying up the road, and she’d bet anything that it was the police. She really didn’t want to see them either, but right now she thought they might be the lesser of two evils.

“You called the police? What the hell for?” Reese said nothing as Suit took a few steps toward her. That was as far as he got before Bone put his hand out and stopped him. She could see the knife in his hand even if Suit couldn’t. “This isn’t over, Reese. We’re going to get you and that kid. You’d better think on that when you drive out of here with him.”

When the man took off running, Reese thought of all the things she had to think of now every time she left someplace. This man’s threats would be foremost in her mind, but nothing more than the million and one things she had to worry about now. Josh flew up and sat on the seat next to her. His pretty feathers ruffled with his anger.

The police, of course, arrived just as Suit was peeling out of the drive, leaving his two men behind to be dealt with. They explained to the cops what they knew. The police, local boys all of them, asked to see the inside of her rig for the kidnapped boy.

Reese opened the door a little and Josh, as his bird, flew out of the cab and took to the skies. She felt a little better then, knowing that he was safe for the time being as the police climbed up in her rig and had a look around. If they thought it strange that she was a long haul driver or that she had a big cab for one person, they didn’t say anything. As soon as they finished with whatever it was they were doing, she was free to go.

“You see this man again, you make sure you let someone know. I don’t know what his issue was with you, but his men were set on detaining you. And they have the weapons to try.” Nodding at the cop, she started her truck and let it idle while he continued. “Bone said you come through here a lot, that he’s never seen you with anyone but yourself and that bird of yours. Will he come back?”

“He will. When I’m down the road.” She didn’t tell him that the hawk was watching them and would, if necessary, shift into something larger to save her, but the cop nodded again and she pulled out into the road. It was probably an hour later when Josh flew in the opposite window and shifted to his human self.

“That man, he made a phone call when he got down the road to the hotel. He called his boss and told him you got away again.” Reese asked him if he was all right. “I am. Just fine and dandy. But I do think we need to find us a place to lay low for a couple of days. What about you?”

“I’m fine, and yes. I agree.” She asked him if he knew of any place that they could hide their home in and be safe too. “You do know that they’re going to be looking harder for me now. I know that we’ve been pulled up before, but they’ve never had guns out in the open either.”

“They’re getting desperate, I think.” She just glanced at Josh and told him to buckle up. As he did it, he continued with what he’d found out. “They’re thinking that if they can get you to come with them, whether easily or not, that I’ll come running to save you. I want you to know right now, I wouldn’t do that. I don’t even like you.”

“I don’t care all the much for you either.” They both laughed, knowing that they had grown closer than family over the last four years. “The next town we come to, I’ll see about finding a place for us to pull in and hide out. A nice hotel, even a little one, would be a good change for us. Maybe a place with a kitchenette that I can cook something other than leftovers in.”

They drove for a few more miles, Josh not saying anything much, but she knew he was upset. The two of them had been on the run for a long time now, and she was getting sick of it. Not that she’d stop taking care of him, not for any amount of money in the world, but she was tired.

The pull off came up, and while he dozed in his seat, she eased into it. The surrounding forest was thick for this time of year, but she knew as soon as the fall started to drop the cover, they’d have to be on the run again. As soon as the rig stopped, she sat back on the seat and closed her eyes. It had been a long time since either of them had had any kind of rest.

“There was a help wanted sign in that diner we passed.” She’d seen it too and asked him if he thought she should apply for it. “It would go a long way in getting us a place to stay, don’t you think?”

“Yes. But what about you? I can’t stand the thought of you having to be hidden away all the time. It’s pretty out and you should be enjoying it.” He only cocked a brow at her. “What I mean is, with other children. Not flying above them or running along the ground like a wolf. There are things that kids do that you’re missing out on.”

“I’m pretty sure that we both know that I’m not much of a social kid.” He wasn’t, and she wasn’t either. That was why they were good for each other. “I’ll go ahead of you and find you a place to stay. Once you’re in, I’ll come to you. Then tomorrow or the next day, you can see about that job.”

As they gathered up what she could carry by herself, she thought of working. Her rig was a good source of income for them, when she could find work that was. But lately it had been harder for her. She thought now it was because of the man that had accosted her in the parking lot. He’d put the word out that she wasn’t to have work.

It might have sounded like she was paranoid. Really, she supposed that she was. But she was pretty sure that she was right. Things had been getting harder and harder for her and Josh lately, and she was worried that the next time they stopped to get gas in their moving home, there would be no money to fill the tanks. Her resources were running dangerously low.

The walk into town was uneventful. Josh would come back and swoop over her, making her laugh, but for the most part she was alone. An occasional car or truck would go by, but with Josh warning her they were coming, she’d have enough time to hide out until they passed her.

She was just coming into the town proper when she saw the two men. They weren’t the men from today. And for some reason she thought that they’d have nothing to do with them either. They looked…well, safe came to mind. A word that she’d not been able to use in the positive way in a long time. As she moved to the other side of the street from them, keeping an eye on their movements, she tried to think what about them had her feeling so weirded out.

They’re shifters.
Josh could communicate with her, but she couldn’t talk back to him. They weren’t sure why, but at times like this, it was helpful to her to know what he was thinking.
Not like me, but cats. Jaguars. The older man is the younger man’s father.

No one was like Josh, but she understood what he meant. They weren’t able to shift into anything other than what they were now and their cats. Josh could shift into anything. Going into the little hotel, she hoped they’d not be there long, or they’d be living on the streets with her hunk of metal of a home rotting away in the field she’d left it in.

“I was looking for a job too. Nothing fancy. I noticed the diner had a help wanted sign. Do you know anything about it?” The woman behind the counter asked her if she could cook. “I can, as a matter of fact. I love it.”

“I’m the owner. I’m looking for someone to come in and do the breakfast for me. Too much work for me anymore. I’d like to just close up, but the town, they love coming in and gabbing while they eat. They said it’s not gossiping, but I don’t know what it would be other than that. When can you show me what you can do?” Reese told her that she could do it now if she wanted. “That’ll be just fine. Just fine indeed. I got to go over soon and start on the dinner stuff. You mind going over and getting it ready? Margaret, my sister, she can show you around and tell you what is what.”

Reese was so excited that she nearly gave her real name when she asked her. “Anna. Anna Reese. I’ll go over as soon as I get my things in my room. Thank you.”

As she made her way to the room, she was nearly giddy with relief. Even if she only worked for a couple of weeks, it would be great to have a stove under her again and to have a nice bed for a change. She told Josh all about it when he came in a few minutes after she did.

Going into the diner twenty minutes later, she was happy to see that the elderly woman was ready for her. She showed her around, then told her that the menu for the night was up to her, that she didn’t want to mess with it.

“You go on and see what we got in there and you cook it up. The only standard we have is burgers and fries, plus them winger things.” It took her a few seconds to realize she meant wings, a popular thing for the last few years. “And beer. But you don’t have to worry none about that. I’ll be tending bar tonight until May gets here.”

As soon as she entered the kitchen, her domain according to Margaret, she knew that at least for now, she was going to be having some fun. Pulling out the ingredients to start on dinner, Reese realized something else. Josh was going to be eating well too. Margaret had told her that all leftovers were hers to do with what she wanted. She was taking them home with her.

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