Shifting the Night Away (52 page)

Jesus.

There wasn’t a whiff of insincerity. Belinda meant every word of it. She’d fire Johanna, no question, but evidence of a previously broken heart revealed itself in her words. How deep had that woman buried it, for it not to come out until now? It didn’t make Belinda decent, but it shed new light on the hell this woman had visited over Johanna for the past two years of her life.

She wanted to say something. Words of empathy danced on the tips of her lips, but the mask was back up and Belinda stomped over to her desk, barking orders once again…one she aimed directly at her. “Go. Be ready to work when you get back. I intend to make your life miserable.”

Johanna grabbed her purse and left a breeze in her wake, never looking back.

***

Baron drove from his third meeting of the day. Things were progressing at a good clip. He’d worked out a nebulous opening date, but he might be able to kick it up. His distributors, by design, were non-humans. All that mess back in Wyoming had soured him on them. More recently, the ones he’d come into contact with through Johanna weren’t much to speak of. She deserved better than that stupid lot.
 

His mouth curled at the thought of his she-wolf. There was no doubt he intended to keep her after their agreed hiatus. She’d make a good partner for him. His mate. A proper mate! All that shit was real. Sometimes a wolf just knew. In Johanna’s case, sometimes they didn’t, but he’d enjoy making her see the light.

And he may as well start now. He caught a glimpse of the top of her head and swerved into a parking space on the opposite side of the street. At the last second, he stopped himself from calling out. No need, she’d pick up his scent and turn around.

Only, she didn’t.

The hell? He jogged to keep up with her. He didn’t sense she was upset, but why wasn’t she stopping? Had he gone too far? Was something wrong? He aimed at scenting it out, but as it always happened when his emotions went haywire, his nose went weak. He tried the best he could. She was
all right
, but not
right.
He went to his tiptoes to keep an eye on her above the crowd.
 

Something was off.
 

One more block and he’d have her. There were two ways to approach this. Talking. Or kissing.

He sped up, whipped her around and went for it.

He didn’t expect the mind-numbing knee to the balls.

Or the swear-inducing heel to the toes.

Nor the fucking lethal right hook to the jaw that had him actually seeing stars. “Baby, what the fuck?”

“I am not your baby,” it hissed. It.
 

He ducked and sidestepped to avoid an uppercut. “I see that.”

“The sole reason I’m not screaming for the cops, is because of what you are. That doesn’t mean I won’t kill you in private.”

He massaged his jaw, gave a tentative twist to his foot and prayed for the survival of his testicles. “You must be Kate.”

The name stopped the blitzkrieg.
 

“I’m Baron.”

Nothing.

“Johanna’s…uh…friend.”

Still no response.

How he’d confused this wench with glaciers in her veins for Johanna, he didn’t know. He’d been so excited to grab her that he hadn’t relied on his eyes…or his nose. Now he took a deep whiff of something pissed off and bitter. And a little confused. “She hasn’t told you about me?”

“That would imply that you’re something worth mentioning.” She hissed like a damned pit viper. He took a step back. Or three.

“So you’re not the warm and fuzzy sister? Am I right? Lady, I’m sorry. When she said sisters, I didn’t think she meant a wicked one from the West.”

“Is your nose broken?”

“I think you missed it.”

“I meant your sense of smell, stupid.”
 

“Okay. We started off on the wrong foot. Maybe I could offer you lunch?”

Before the Ice Queen could say something assholey, and he sure saw it coming, one of Johanna’s coworkers, a tiny redhead, jumped into the conversation.
 

“Hi there! It’s me, from the clerk’s office. Jo’s friend.”
 

“She hates being called that.”

“Hello, Kate. Pleasant as ever. Anyway, Baron, just wanted to congratulate you on the wedding. Tony spilled the beans.”

“The what?”

He didn’t know who said it in a higher pitched voice, himself or Kate, but he didn’t have time to ponder it. The crack of the Snow Bitch’s palm across his face took precedence. While he recovered, The Evil One reeled around and disappeared down the street. “Is she for real?”

“Yep. That’s Kate.”

“I hate her.”

“Who? Johanna?” The coworker asked it with a little too much eagerness in her voice.

“Kate.”

“Sure, that’s what I meant. Because you’re marrying Johanna, right?”

“I…” He wasn’t sure where to go with this or what led to such a crazy statement coming out of this person’s mouth. “We’re very happy,” he said, with every intention of straightening it out with the woman in question.

This sent the bespectacled busybody into a tizzy. She hadn’t even finished her goodbyes before getting out her phone and typing away.

He called the bride, but Johanna’s phone went to voicemail. He had a pretty good idea why. Kate. After spending time consuming, but necessary seconds swearing, he made his way back to the car and headed straight for Johanna’s apartment building.

Chapter Seven

Johanna snuggled deeper into the sofa, enjoying the decadence of lazing around on a workday. Her phone vibrated, but she didn’t answer it. Baron had meetings and Kate never called during business hours. That left Belinda and she wasn’t in the mood.

She dozed off to the sound of rapid gunfire on the television. An equally rapid, and no less thundering, knocking at her door woke her up. Johanna flipped over to ignore it but at a wildebeest-esque screeching, her eyes snapped open.

Kate.

Angry.

She took a lot of deep breaths and a long assed time to get to that door. “Whatever you’re mad about, I didn’t do it.”

“Open up right now!”

The closer she got, the more she wished for backup. The last time Kate bordered on homicidal, it took both she and Michelle to bring her down. “I’m not opening this door until you calm down.”

“DOWN? How, when I find out from plebeians on the streets that you’re getting married?”

Funny how some things flip locks and bust doors wide open. A red-faced Kate met her with hands on her hips and murder in her eyes.
 

“Kate—”

“How dare you keep this from me?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

The tornado that was her sister blew right by her and straight to the wine cabinet. “I heard it from your little friend,
after
getting molested by the groom—”

“What? Wait, I’m not getting married. Which friend? I need you to use names. I need fact based things of what you’re talking about, because I’m wading in the dark here.”

“Of course
he’d
come.” Kate barked.

“He who? Oh...” Baron’s scent wafted up the staircase, seconds before his feet
thwomped
on the wood. She opened the door before the first knock.

“Johanna, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to kiss your sister.”

“You did what?”

“It was an accident. I didn’t notice how much of a broomstick she had under the business suit.”

“You!” Kate slammed her wine glass against the counter. “Who do you think you are? Aside from my future brother-in-law,” she added under her breath. Or what would have been, if they weren’t in a room filled with wolves.

“Yeah, Johanna, what’s that all about?” Baron shifted from side to side and cracked his back. “So we’re clear, that was a proposal for work, not marriage.”

“I know that! Back up to the part about kissing my sister.”

The man went red to the tips of his ears. “My nerves outpace my nose sometimes. I got excited when I saw you walking. In the haze, I clearly misjudged class and hotness for ice and bitchiness.”

Instant forgiveness. She turned her attention to the scowling Kate. “What he means to say is that he’s sorry.”

“He sure is.”

Baron earned a lot of points for letting that pass and she turned to the next cluster bomb. “Now what’s this about me getting married?”

He shrugged and shook his head. “Caught me off guard too. I was recovering from my encounter with Kate when your coworker congratulated me.”

The level of ridiculousness just kept doubling down on itself. “I need wine. Pour me a glass, Kate. Please?”

“Are you sure,” Baron asked with a twinkle in his eye. “You’re not so good with alcohol.”

Kate, now completely unhinged, howled at his interjection. “How would you know? You’ve known her for two minutes. Here. Drink the wine.”

Johanna took the glass, already wishing for another, and let her mind go back to what could have caused the confusion. It didn’t take long. “Tony. I told him I was taking a week off. When he asked, I said we needed time to work out future plans. It was only to shut him up. I didn’t mean
that.
”

Baron let out a whoosh of air and kissed her temple. “Good. For a second there, I thought you were both crazy.”

Kate shoved her way between them. Actually, less of a shove and more of a full on body check. “What in the hell are you talking about?”

“Tell your sister to stay out of our marriage.”

Kate whipped around, eyes wide and glowing. “I’ll kill him. You tell that boy—”

“I’m standing right here. And for the record, I’m older than you.”

Kate’s flat palm slammed the table. “Then act like it. The both of you are running around like damned kids.”

“Before I shift in the living room, let me say this. Kate, I’m sorry for the awkward introduction. I apologize for everything I’ve said and I hope you feel the same.”

“I don’t.”

Baron snatched the whole damned bottle. “Is she always like this?”

“I can hear you.”

“Then leave.”

“OH! You don’t have any right to kick me out of my sister’s apartment.”

Johanna opened the door and pointed outside. “But I do. I love you and I’ll call you tonight.”

“What?”
 

“Go.” And yep, kicking Kate out this time felt just as good as the time before.

Her sister snatched up her purse and stepped outside, cheeks rapidly huffing and deflating. “You call me the second he leaves. As for you, if you hurt Johanna in any little way, I’ll drive day and night to bury your corpse in the desert.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“See that you do,” Kate screamed and slammed the door shut behind her.

Johanna rested her head against the closed door, enjoying the cool metal against her heated cheek.
 

Silence.

Beautiful silence.
 

Her skin itched, her stomach ached and a pile driver went to work on her temple. “So, that’s Kate.”

Baron winked over the bottle and took another swig. “I can’t deal with that. The marriage is off.”
 

“Kate bought me that.”

Drops of wine dribbled out the corners of his mouth as he spit it out. “I can’t…I can’t. She’s insane.” Baron filled a glass with tap water and somehow loosened a few more chains around her heart.

“I’m sorry you two met like that.”

“Everyone you know is crazy.”

“I know.”

“Batshit crazy.”

“I know.”

“That’s why you need me, Johanna. That shit spreads.” The fool shivered and eyed the Kate tainted bottle under the light over the sink. “Are we sure there’s no crushed glass in here?”

“I’m sure.”

“She must have been a joy growing up.”

“She’s not
that
bad. Perhaps a little overconfident and controlling, but she means well.”