Force of Nature Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4) (22 page)

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

World Castle Publishing, LLC

Pensacola, Florida

Copyright © Kathi S. Barton 2012

ISBN: 9781938243905

First Edition World Castle Publishing July 15, 2012

Second Edition World Castle Publishing September 15, 2013

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com

Licensing Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Cover: Karen Fuller

Photos: Shutterstock

Editor: Maxine Bringenberg

Chapter 1

Gordon watched the women as they crossed the street. He’d been keeping an eye on Dark Treasures, the store they had been coming out of, for over a week now and was surprised at how much business the little shop seemed to do. When they disappeared into a car and drove off, he got out of his cruiser and walked over to the place.

He loved what the owner had done to the old building. The place had been an eye sore for several years…hell, probably as much as a decade. The new windows and the pretty flowers out front said, “welcome” in a way that his new sister-in-law CJ would say was good business sense. He just liked the way they smelled.

The window to the right as a person faced the building had a huge claw foot tub in it. The towels draped around it looked soft and fluffy…the white terry cloth looked like it was at least two inches thick. He smiled when he saw the array of rubber duckies all around the edge. The floor of the display was covered in baskets of soaps and bottles of what he thought might be bubble bath. His mom had some of the same things in the bathroom at the pack house. But what caught his eye were the bright gems hanging from what seemed to be nothing, but was in fact fishing line. The glint of the gems sparkled in the afternoon light. The other window, the one to the left, was covered in brown paper and had the words “under construction” written in a bold hand.

The bell over the door announced his arrival into the establishment. “I’ll be right out. Don’t steal anything until I come out so I can at least take a good inventory of what you have.”

Gordon looked toward the back where a curtain fluttered in the slight breeze. Someone, an older woman, spoke from the depths and he had to smile. He’d been under the impression that someone much younger ran the place.

“Hello. The cops, huh? Which one are you here for? I have four working today, but I’m betting it’s the lot of them.” She turned to look in the direction she’d come from as a ruckus came from the back. “Sounds like a herd of them, doesn’t it?”

“Herd? No, I’m here to get something for my mother and my sisters. And to speak to the owner if that is possible. Would that be you?” She shook her head. “I’m Gordon Force by the way. And you would be…?”

“Oh, pardon me. I get so befuddled when I babysit for the kids. Some days it’s like they suck me dry of energy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Like just this morning, Sis wanted to know how to make a brew to get rid of the neighborhood boy. I told her that she’d have to ask her aunt. Besides, we aren’t really witches as everyone says, just sell the stuff to make soaps and such. Her aunt is much better at that than me anyway. Then there was—”

“Aunt Glad.” The softly spoken words had him turning toward the papered up display. “Why don’t you just answer his questions and let him leave? We have to lock up soon and take the children home.”

No one came out of the area and he looked back at who he assumed was Aunt Glad. She was smiling again. He wondered if she was always happy or if she was just trying to hide something. He started to ask her about what he’d really come for when the “herd” came through the curtained area.

The oldest—or he supposed he should say the tallest—was a pretty girl who looked like she had too much leg. Her golden hair hung down her chest in two fat braids that looked like she’d been through a briar patch and her hair had been pulled badly. He thought her to be a teenager or very close. The next two were boys of about eight and ten. He smiled at them as they tumbled into the room much like him and his twin did when they were in the mood for some fighting. The littlest, a girl of about five or six, came in behind the rest with her thumb in her mouth, and looked like she was mad, spitting mad. Gordon would bet his last dollar that she ruled the roost, and that she did so more like an adult than the child that she was.

“Aunt Glad, those two need to have a time out,” the little girl said after popping the thumb out. “They knocked me over into the grass, and they both know how much I hate the grass.”

“She was acting like a girl. She was stupid and when I told her, she threw a rock at me.” The older of the two boys lifted his hair off his forehead and showed the aunt the golf ball-sized knot already there. “Then when it started to bleed she acted like it was the end of the world or something. Girls. Who the heck needs them?”

Gordon couldn’t help it…he burst out laughing. He knew at that moment that they’d had no idea he was there until he did. Their eyes widened and the youngest was shoved behind the other girl while the boys took a stance in front of them. They were protecting each other. Gordon knew immediately that someone had hurt them.

“Tim,” Glad said over the tension in the room. “You and Jake go to the kitchen and take Sis with you. Darcy, please make sure that they wash up before they get a cookie each.”

Gordon didn’t take his eyes off the children as not one of them moved. When Glad put her hand on the oldest child’s shoulder, she whimpered. Gordon took a step back and walked right into someone.

“Don’t,” the voice behind him said. “They’re very skittish. Would you mind very much going down to their level? I promise you they won’t hurt you. At least, I don’t think they will. But one never knows about the short people, do they? They can go all over the place when it comes to—”

The voice behind the papered area spoke again. This time he could hear the exasperation in her voice. “Just answer his questions then get him the hell out of my store.”

He nodded before going down to his knees, ignoring the voice from beyond. “I’m Officer Force. Hello.” He glanced at the person behind him then at the papered up display window.

“She won’t come out until she’s finished with the thingy she’s doing in there anyways. I’m Justine, but everyone calls me Jessie, and these are my nieces and nephews. Children, please come and meet Officer Force.” The woman got down on her knees as well. “Sis, come here and meet him. He is here on business and he—”

“I’m not going anywhere with him. You can try, but I’m not going anywhere without my sisters and brother. You can’t make me.” The older boy, Tim, took a stance that said, “You may be bigger, but I’ve learned to fight meaner.” “And if you’ve come to tell us about our dad, you can go to hell.”

Gordon didn’t move. He heard the sharp intake of breath beside him, then he heard the creak of steps. Someone else had joined the fray. He nearly turned toward the noise when a younger woman stepped in front of him, one that hadn’t been in the room until then.

“Timothy Allen Booth, what have I told you?” Tim’s head dropped immediately. “I will not tolerate that attitude one bit and you know it. Apologize this minute,” she snapped.

Gordon started to say it was all right, but the woman next to him put her hand on his arm. He glanced over at the older woman when she smiled again. This time, he could see the strain around her mouth and eyes.

“He scared Sis. Shouldn’t he—?” A single step toward the boy from the standing woman had him shutting up. “I’m sorry for being rude, Officer Force. I had no…no right to be mean to you, though you scared my little sister.”

When the hand at his arm lifted, he put out his hand. “No hard feelings. I’m sort of the same way when it comes to protecting my little sister too. I’m very sorry to have frightened her, and I apologize to you both for doing so.”

The little boy looked up at the woman still standing between him and the children. With a slight nod from her, Tim walked up to Gordon and shook his hand. Tim turned to his sister and brother and nodded. “This is my sister Darcy and my sister Sis. Her real name is Abigail, but it was too hard for us to say when she was little so we called her ‘Sis.’ This is my brother Jake. He’s not afraid of you either.” Then he turned to Glad. “Can we still have the cookie? I’ll make sure we clean up after ourselves.”

“Of course. Come along. Maybe I’ll have one for myself. I think I could easily eat a dozen right now,” Glad said as she followed them out of the room. “Good heavens, how much longer is spring break anyway? I never knew it could be so nerve-wracking.” Her voice faded as she went behind the curtain.

Gordon stood when the other woman did. He turned to her and noticed that the woman that had reprimanded Tim still stood watching the now empty doorway. He decided she was either very rude or very terrified for the children. He looked at the other woman before speaking. “As I was saying, I’m here to pick up some things for my family. They made me a list to bring home.” He handed it to Justine. “They use the product all the time and CJ was happy when she found that you’d opened the store here in town.” He was babbling. He had no idea why other than the fact that the woman still had not moved. Justine kept glancing at her too, but whoever she was remained stoic.

“There’s a storm coming. Jessie, make sure Officer Force has what he needs.” She turned then. “Then lock up. I have to go to the house.”

Gordon felt his world slip out of sync. She was beautiful. Not only that, but drop dead, oh my fucking God, I’ve gone to heaven gorgeous. He started to step toward her. He needed her scent, needed, he realized, to mark her. Before he could gain control of himself, she took several steps back and turned to leave. He felt his beast snarl at him to go after her when she was just suddenly gone. He looked back at Jessie.

“My niece. She’s a bit of an oddball, but what can you do?” She walked toward the shelves and started taking things off one. “She’s the owner. We don’t let her out from behind her cook area in the barn often, but she does pay our checks. And she makes the best eye-catching displays.”

Gordon looked at the woman who was speaking, realizing that he was still staring at the now closed door. “I need to speak to her. Will she be back any time soon?”

While he couldn’t exactly remember what he needed to talk to her about, he knew now that it was imperative that he did. He smelled the air and tried to find her scent, but all he could smell were soaps and herbs and the children. The children had a scent that made his wolf hum. He knew they weren’t what he was, but had been with one.

“No. Not today. Well, that’s not true. She’ll be back sometime tonight after dark to finish the display and unveil it. When we come in tomorrow it’ll be all beautiful.” She put a basket of things on the counter. “Did you want everything on this list, Officer Force, or did you just want the things that were circled?”

Gordon looked at the list she was handing him and realized he didn’t have a clue. Nodding, he told her to put it all in and he’d sort it out later. He looked over at the display and then the door the woman had gone out of. In no time he was out the door and almost three hundred dollars poorer. Taking out his cell, he called his brother Dallas.

“I need you to find some information for me. An address and a….” He looked back at the building. He had no idea what her name was. The paper he’d been given said GJA Incorporated, and he guessed now it was probably a combination of the names of the women. “A name. Her name will start with an ‘A.’”

“I won’t find you dates, Gordon. I draw the line at stalking women, even for you.”

Gordon winced at his brother’s words. He knew he deserved it, but still, it kind of hurt. “Nope. Not like that at all. She’s supposedly a witch, and when I got here today I couldn’t get much out of anyone other than she makes the displays and that she is the owner.” Gordon glanced down at the two bags in his hand. “And tell CJ she owes me big time.”

~~~

Alexis watched the man get into his cruiser and drive away from her stance at the side of the building of her shop. She had known it would be only a matter of time before the cops showed up. Alexis had hoped that it would have been later, but it seemed that no matter where she went someone was going to complain.

Turning back to her car, she slipped inside. Driving to the next town, she went to the store to get something for dinner, smiling when she thought of the things she’d heard about her and her family. Witches. Alexis shook her head as she answered her cell phone.

“Did you know there were wolves here when you bought this place?” her sister’s husband demanded. “This could be bad for you if you did this on purpose.”

“Ask me if I give a shit how this affects you.” She tossed a chicken into her cart and decided to have fried chicken for dinner. Cutting the thing up could give her some much needed release. “Where’s the money you said you’d send for the children? It’s now seven weeks late. Again.”

“You wanted them, you’ll fucking keep them. For now anyway. If I find out that you’ve been talking to someone again, Allie, I won’t hesitate to take them from you.” His laughter sent a chill down her spine. “And this time I won’t stop at just roughing them up a bit.’

Alexis wondered if there was any way for her to murder her own brother-in-law and get away with it. She wanted to threaten him, but knew that if she tried he’d only make good on his threat and take the kids again. She’d thought that moving there, closer to her aunts, she’d be able to protect them better, but she’d been wrong. Nearly dead wrong before, but this was home to them, to the kids and her aunts.

“Paddy, I’m only going to say this once more. You hurt those children again and, so help me, you’ll pray for death when I’m finished with you.” She closed her phone and looked up at the woman who was staring at her unashamedly. “Can I help you?” Alexis flushed. She hadn’t meant to snap at the woman and wished now that she’d simply not answered the phone.

The woman grinned at her and held out her hand. “CJ Force. You must really have it bad for that person.” Alexis shrugged at her observation. “I know what you mean. My family is like that, in that you want to murder them one minute and hug the shit out of them the next.”