Seven Years (14 page)

His lips twitched. “In that case, my apologies.”

I was a little too embarrassed to ask what he meant about going into heat. That scared the crap out of me and I panicked my way right into Austin’s bedroom where Maizy was fast asleep.

Denver sat in a corner chair with his legs stretched out, playing a handheld videogame in the dark.

I flipped on a small light, took off her buckled shoes, and set them on the floor. Then I removed her tights and folded them up.

“You should let her sleep,” Denver suggested without lifting his eyes.

“This girl can sleep through an apocalypse,” I said with a laugh in my voice.

What I really wanted to do was look her over and make sure she wasn’t hurt. After a few turns of her legs and arms, she made a complaining moan and I covered her up with the blanket.

“Thank God,” I whispered. My mom was still missing, and while that wasn’t okay, I could deal with it better than the thought of this little girl getting hurt.

The door opened behind me. “He’s gone,” Austin said in a hushed voice. “I offered him the reward and he turned it down.”

“
The fuck
?” Denver said. “Ten large and he turned up his nose?”

Austin shrugged.

“Ah, shit. You didn’t,” Denver grumbled, tossing his videogame on the other side of the bed. He didn’t look so handsome when he was pissed off. The scar on his temple turned a little pink and his lip did a funny curl. “Are you a bag of nuts?”

“What’s going on?” I asked, turning around.

Denver replied in a low voice. “He paid him with a favor, to be collected at a later date. Am I right? Dammit, Austin, you know how that shit can backfire on your ass.”

“Watch the baby, Denver. We’re going to bed.”

We?
I thought.

“I’m staying here,” I insisted.
Who did he think he was, ordering me around?

“No, Lexi. She needs to sleep and you… you’re worked up.”

“So?”

He stepped closer. “Do you really want your baby sister to be in the same room with a new wolf who doesn’t know any of us and is amped up on adrenaline? Are you ready to take on that responsibility if she gets injured?”

Point taken.

“Maizy doesn’t know Denver.”

“But I do. That’s my brother and I trust him with my life. Until we know what’s going on, I want someone watching the window at all times while she sleeps. You don’t have to worry,” he said in a smooth voice. “No one’s taking her again, not on my watch.”

I kissed her cheek and followed Austin into the hall.

“Are those your brothers?” I asked, staring into the living room on the left.

He took my hand and gently laced his fingers around my wrist. “Later. We’re going to bed.”

We?
There was a whole lot of “we” going on in his sentences these days.

“Aren’t
you
afraid of my wolf?” I wondered aloud.

Austin led me to a room across the hall and closed the door behind us. “I’m not afraid of anything, Ladybug. Not a damn thing.”

Tucked in the left corner was a small bed with black covers and pillowcases. Concert posters were tacked all over the snow-white walls and I knew by Pink Floyd hanging behind the bed that we were in Jericho’s room. An oversized black beanbag chair sat on the floor with a leather jacket casually draped across it. To the right, a plain wooden dresser against the wall had been covered with loose change, guitar picks, cigarettes, and a box of ribbed condoms.

“We shouldn’t sleep in here,” I said apprehensively, staring at a bubbling red lava lamp beside the twin bed.

Austin pulled off his socks and unbuckled his belt. “Jericho’s got a gig tonight and won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. He likes to get trashed and party after the show.”

“What does he play?”

Austin pulled off his belt and tossed it to the floor. “He sings lead and plays guitar.”

“Does he also sell his music online?”

Austin sniffed out a laugh. “No telling. The Breed bars pay them well and they’re a hit with the ladies. Too much risk doing anything that would make him famous, because eventually people would notice he isn’t aging very much. We try to keep a low profile around humans.”

“I need a shower,” I said, stalling and staring down at my day-old clothes.

“Denver set up a camera at your apartment and I packed you a small bag. It’s in the bathroom. You can take a shower and brush your teeth if you want. I’m tired, my wolf’s tired, and I’ll be knocked out by the time you’re done,” he grumbled, crawling over the bed and spreading out.

The taut muscles in his arms flexed as he stretched his right arm and sighed. I turned on my heel and went for the shower.

***

Austin was right; when I got back to the room, he was sound asleep. Thankfully, he wasn’t a snorer. He just breathed deep and growled once in a while.

I was a little embarrassed he’d paid a visit to my underwear drawer, but relieved when I saw he didn’t pack my black garter belt or see-through red nightie. He’d chosen for my nightwear a knee-length T-shirt with
Ka-Pow!
written on the front. He’d had a wide selection to choose from, because that drawer had everything from
I’m ready for smokin’ hot sex
to
It’s my time of the month, so don’t even think about touching me
.

Austin dressed me like his kid sister, and I mentally sighed.

He didn’t stir when I crawled on top of the sheets. He was flat on his back with both arms spread out—just as I’d left him. I combed my fingers through my damp hair, feeling the energy drain from my body.

I pulled the covers up and found myself staring at Austin’s chest. He had well-defined muscles in his abdomen that looked like I could have washed my clothes on them. Despite the fact he’d been out running all day, he smelled wonderful. Sometimes I wondered if men had any idea of what women found attractive. Like the small cleft in his chin, or the way his hands felt rough when they touched my soft skin, and even the way he had popped open the button on his jeans. When I heard a low growl—it was a sexy little sound that made me wonder what he was dreaming about.

I eased a little bit closer with my arms tucked against my chest. Then just a little closer, watching his breathing to make sure I didn’t wake him up.

The closer I snuggled up to Austin, the more I craved that cozy familiarity—more than I would have cared to admit. I’d missed him. How do you not miss someone who was a huge chunk of your childhood and young-adult life who disappeared off the face of the earth? Almost every memory I had from kindergarten to age twenty involved Austin Cole.

The next thing I knew, my cheek rested on his bicep and I tucked my body against his like a puzzle piece. Just when I closed my heavy eyelids, he groaned.

Oh God, please don’t let him wake up now.

It was deep and guttural, and he shifted on his right side, facing me.

“You okay?” he murmured.

I didn’t reply. I played dead and pretended I was asleep. It seemed like a good plan to avoid the embarrassment of explaining why I was latched on to him like a man-sucking leech.

A rough, warm hand cupped my cheek and I felt him scoot down a little. Maybe he thought I had fallen asleep, because his thumb brushed over my right eyelid softly.

Five times. I counted.

When his lips lightly touched mine, my brain just shut down. It was a soft, almost nonexistent kiss, but I felt it all the way down to my toes. Then it zinged back up to my hips and damn if I didn’t moan.

Now we were both aware I wasn’t asleep and he was kissing me. But it didn’t stop. His kiss pressed a little bit harder and tingles roared through my body, and my breath was shaky and erratic.

When his tongue touched my lip, I quickly opened my mouth and kissed him back.

Hard.

Deep.

Kissed him like I’d fantasized about doing for the last seven years. I gripped the back of his neck with my right hand and my fingernails bit into his skin. Austin was a phenomenal kisser with all the right tongue moves. Slowly stroking me like he meant to kiss me elsewhere. The next thing I knew, his hand slid up my nightshirt and down my panties in the back. He gripped my ass and rubbed it so hard that I made a strangled moan in the back of my throat.

“Take them off,” I breathed against his mouth, pushing up to my elbow so I was leaning more on top of him.

“Christ,” he whispered back. “I can’t.” He pulled his hand away and there I was, the desperate girl who was left wanting Austin Cole, who didn’t want me back.

And boy did that piss me off. I nipped his lip hard enough that he “
ow
ed” in response, and I flew out of bed.

“
Fine
. I’ll go sleep with one of your brothers.”

I really didn’t mean it that way. What I
meant
to say was I would sleep in one of their beds. Just not
with
them. Sharing a bed with a man who turned me on and shut me out wasn’t in my best interest.

He caught me by the wrist and yanked me back to the bed. “Over my dead body,” he said roughly.

I twisted my arm and he lost his grip. “I get that you don’t like me like that, Austin. You woke up with a hard-on; big fucking deal,” I said angrily. “But don’t work me over and then make me out to be some desperate, clingy woman. That’s right—
woman
. I’m grown up now, and I make my own decisions, including whose bed I sleep in. And whose bed I
don’t
sleep in.”

When I turned away, he grabbed my hips and pulled me back. Suddenly, my backside was pressed against his front, and his front was thick and hard.

His hot breath touched my ear and I shivered.

“You’re too close to going into heat, Lexi, and it’s driving me fucking wild.”

The little hairs on my neck stood up.

“This will push you right into it, and it’s too soon. I
sure as hell
don’t want it happening in one of my brother’s beds,” he bit out. “You don’t want me to go all the way. You have no idea what sliver of a thread I’m hanging on to right now to maintain control, because I could slide your panties down and slip inside you in less than three seconds. You hear me?”

“Yeah,” I breathed, feeling his fingers clawing into my hips.

“And trust me, I
want
to. My body can’t help but react to a woman in heat. But you’re the good girl and I’m the bad boy, and we’ve both known that for years.”

He released his grip and slid his right hand down to my belly while my idiot head fell back on his shoulder.

“Come back to bed. Sleep beside me. We have a long day ahead to find your mother, and us having sex in my brother’s shitty-ass Pink Floyd bedroom is not going to be a magical moment for you. It’s going to make things weird between us, and I look after my pack and make sure that they get what they need. A one-night stand is
not
what you need.”

“There you go again, Austin Cole, making decisions for me.”

He stilled, as if he were making up his mind. Then he came to his conclusion and spun me around to face him.

“Alexia Talulah Knight, get into this bed.”

“I hate my middle name,” I complained.

“I know,” he said with a warm smile in his voice. “Now get in.”

He scooted toward the wall and I crawled beside him. Every ounce of lust that was in my body had magically evaporated. I was too mad to be turned on anymore, and Austin decided to roll over and show me his back to prevent anything further from happening.

When I was almost asleep, I heard him mumble, “I like your name; it’s Native American. I looked it up once.”

I was too exhausted to ask him about the references to me going into heat, so we slept the rest of the night beside each other.

Just like old times.

The next morning, I woke up in Jericho’s bed, alone
. I shuffled my feet down the hall, past the bar, the atrium on the right, and then into the kitchen.

“Lexi, look! I got marshmallows!”

I glanced at Maizy’s cereal. Mom always bought her the healthy whole-grain stuff, which I’d argued defeated the purpose of childhood. Denver sat at the table with a glass of milk and the funny papers. He had dark circles under his eyes and nodded when I sat down.

I watched Maizy pick out the colored marshmallows from her cereal and eat them, saving the pink ones for last.

“You feeling okay this morning, honey?”

“Uh huh,” she sang, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred the day before. I wanted to ask all kinds of questions, but I decided not to upset her while she was eating.

“Where is everyone?” I asked.

Denver put one hand behind his neck and stretched his left arm. “Hunting. I’m on chick patrol.”

“You got chickens?” Maizy asked.

I snorted. “Did Austin go too?”

“Yep. I got a funny feeling he’ll be going out of town.”

“Why do you say that?”

Denver pushed back his chair and yawned a big, ugly yawn. “He knows a Packmaster who might be able to help. He’s getting some gear together.”

Austin still cared for my mom, even though he had no clue how mad she was at him. My heart warmed a little at the thought, knowing he was going above and beyond what the cops would ever do to get her back.

“Damn,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “I have to tend bar tonight and I’m no good unless I can get in a nap. Maybe I’ll call in and tell them I got an itch I need to scratch.”

“So you guys always knew you were… you know,” I said, glancing at Maizy. I didn’t want her to hear every little bit of this whole Shifter conversation.

“Yeah. But as kids, we’re just like humans. We don’t howl at the moon or anything.” For effect, he howled and Maizy giggled. Then he turned to me seriously and folded his fingers together, resting his elbows on the table to speak in a private voice. “A good pack is better than a human family. Alphas naturally form them and we spread out over the territories. Some cities have more of us, some less. Some are corrupted a-holes and the rest are committed to family. We look after our own. No matter how I feel about some of these dickwads in the house, I’d lay down my life for them. That’s how it goes in this family. We protect our own. It’s instinct—one I’m sure you’ve felt your whole life. That’s one little characteristic where we differ from most humans.”

“Yeah,” I said softly, reflecting on the unbreakable bond I’ve always felt with my family. Maybe he was right. “How old is everyone?”

He snorted. “Shake their pockets and a few Mayan coins might roll out.”

“I’m serious.”

Denver snagged one of Maizy’s blue marshmallows and nibbled on the tip. “I’m not much older than Austin, but the others are closer in age. Reno is over a hundred and—”

“A hundred?” I said in disbelief.

“He’s got some wild stories, but we only get to hear them when he’s tanked. The twins came next and then there was a stretch before Jericho. Your mind doesn’t age much, Lexi. That’s why you see all those eighty-year-old women acting silly. In their head, they’re still young. Time doesn’t change people, experience does. And sickness. You can’t tell someone’s age by just looking at ’em.”

We sat for a quiet spell, watching Maizy pile a mountain of pink marshmallows onto her spoon.

“I need to go home for a little bit,” I said.

“Chick patrol,” Denver reminded me, wagging his finger.

“This chick has rent due today. I also need to pay my electric bill, take out the garbage, and check on my neighbor. There might be messages on my machine. Not to mention my boss is probably wondering where I am. Will you look after Maizy? Can I trust you?”

His blue eyes blazed, making his soft features even more striking. “I don’t have a leash on you. Go do whatever you need to do and if Austin calls, I’ll tell him you’re in the bathroom with a book and a bunch of bubbles and candles. You got nothin’ to worry about while I’m in charge.” Then his voice grew uncharacteristically dark. “No one lays a finger on her. Maybe the man who dumped her on the side of the road like trash is your father, but you better pray I never meet him.”

“Lexi’s my sister,” Maizy told Denver, as if he had no idea. Denver arched his brows and nodded at her.

“Is my car here?”

He pointed behind him in the direction of the front of the house.

I got dressed and went to pick up a few pieces of my life and put them back together.

***

“No, no, no,” Naya chanted. “You cannot just take off like that, have roughnecks show up at your apartment, and then waltz in without telling me what’s going on.” She cocked her hip angrily and her pea-green dress swished at the knee. She had her hair pinned up in a messy knot and looked beautiful in natural makeup.

Definitely her day off.

“Naya, I don’t think
I
even know what’s going on,” I said in all honesty.

After dropping off my rent, I had stopped by my apartment to pack my bag and listen to my phone messages when Naya came barging in.

“I was worried sick,” she reminded me.

Before she went on a Naya mouthing spree and gave me a ten-minute lecture, I dialed my work number. “Give me a sec; I need to call work. April? It’s Alexia.”

“What’s going on?” she exclaimed over the phone. “Don’t tell me you’re sick because you don’t
sound
sick.”

“Can you let Charlie know I’ll be out for a couple of days? I’m so sorry to spring this on you at the last minute, April. Do you think you can handle the store by yourself? Call one of the girls in as backup if you need to.”

“Of course I can handle it,” she retorted. “I’ve just been worried is all. By the way, someone came in here looking for you.”

“Who? Was it a cop?”

Which made me a little nauseous because all these people were suddenly looking for me and my mom was missing.

“I don’t know. A big scary guy with long hair.”

“Was his name Lorenzo?” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s the one. He seemed worried about you too. He wanted to know where you lived—said you weren’t answering your phone. Is he your boyfriend?”

I glanced at my messages and saw the number twenty-four blinking.
How did he know where I worked?

“No, no,” I said. “He’s the guy who asked about my car.”

“Don’t worry,” April reassured me. “I didn’t tell him anything. He said he knew how to find you here because of your work shirt.”

Ah, yes. Now it was clear.

“April, it’s just some family drama and I need more time off. I’ve got a ton of vacation and I’m sure Charlie won’t mind. He’s always trying to get me to use it; I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to give you advance notice.”

Which almost made me laugh. Advance notice on a kidnapping?

“Alexia, it’s under control. There’s no need to call Charlie, I don’t want him to get upset over nothing. He’s been sick.”

“With what?”

“I don’t know,” she said in quiet words. “Something doesn’t seem right. He hasn’t been coming in as much over the past few months, not like he used to. When I talked to him, it didn’t sound like he wanted to be bothered with work stuff, and you know that’s not like him. But no need to worry, I got it covered. I created a rotation schedule with the girls; Kelly even stepped up to work more hours in the week if needed.”

“Good.” I glanced up at the impatient Naya, leaning against the front door and picking her polished nail. “Gotta go. I’ll call you later. And if you need anything…” I hesitated, because I wouldn’t be home and didn’t carry a phone. Austin hadn’t given me permission to share his number with anyone.

“Don’t worry about a thing, Alexia. Just do what you need to do,” she said, and I felt the stress melt away with her reassurance.

“Thanks. And if Lorenzo comes in again, tell him everything’s okay and I’m dealing with family business. I’ll try to get in touch with him. Not sure why he even cares, we just met. Talk to you later.”

I hung up and gave Naya the skinny. I left out the part about being half dog and decided she just needed to know about my mom’s kidnapping and to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious visiting my apartment.

“What about the cop?” she asked.

“Was he here?”

“Last night.”

I walked to the bar and got the information I’d scribbled on a napkin with his number. He had wanted to talk to me about my father, and that made me anxious.

She wrapped me up in a generous hug. “Find your mama. I’ll keep an eye on your place and if you need anything, call me.”

“Thanks,” I muttered against her perfumed neck.

“And if any of those strapping young men you’re hanging out with are single, slip them my number.”

I laughed so hard it morphed into my silly laugh. Sometimes you just need to let go when things fall apart in order to keep yourself together.

Naya went back home and I called Officer McNeal. He didn’t answer, so I began listening to my messages. Twelve were hang-up calls from Beckett, according to my caller ID. Lorenzo had left three brief messages, but I saw his number come up five more times. I was surprised he hadn’t assumed I was just brushing him off. But before he turned stalker on my ass, I figured maybe I should give him a call and let him know this wasn’t a good time for me.

What made me curious was wondering if Lorenzo was a Shifter, did he know I was one too?

“Church,” he answered.

“Hi, is this Lorenzo?”

There was a brief pause. “Is this who I think it is?”

“That depends on who you think it is.”

“Yeah,” he said with a dark laugh. “It’s who I think it is. I’m glad you decided to give me a call, Alexia.”

“Call me Lexi.”

“Why?”

“Look, I’m sorry you’ve been going through the trouble of calling. I’ve had some family stuff come up that I need to take care of, but I didn’t want you to think I was being rude and ignoring your calls. I’m not like that. If I don’t like you, I’ll tell you flat-out.”

Lorenzo laughed. “That I believe. Why don’t you invite me over and we’ll talk? Maybe I can help with your problem. I’m a good problem solver.”

I suddenly remembered the cameras that had been installed. As in
plural
. I sure didn’t see the one outside, so if there were any inside the apartment, I was going to have to get Austin to take them out. That was a little invasive, especially since I liked walking around in my underwear on Saturday nights while watching movies and making quesadillas.

“Alexia? Speak to me.”

“I’m… what did you ask?”

“You were about to tell me your address so I can help you with your problem.” Before I could reject his offer he said, “I think it’s time the both of us come clean. I’m a Shifter, Alexia, and I know you’re one too. I don’t know what pack you belong to, but whatever trouble you may be in, my people can help. I’m a Packmaster. I got strong connections, money… whatever you need.”

And that was an attractive offer. More help.

“Did you hear about a mother and daughter gone missing?”

“Yes.”

“That’s my mother. We found my sister, but my mom’s still missing.”

He covered the receiver and I heard muffled conversation. “Tell me where you are. I got thirty men I can put on this right away.”

Thirty?

Lorenzo swung by in his monster black truck with the skull and crossbones on the back window and took charge of the situation. He was already on the phone with his pack, relaying information and barking out orders.

No pun intended.

He helped me into his truck and I felt like I was on a carnival ride due to being so high up. After a trip to my mom’s house, he shut me up in the back bedroom while he shifted into his wolf to sniff things out. That was around the time I started to notice a restless feeling stirring within me. Something so primal it felt innate.