Angelic Avenger (12 page)

“Okay, no small talk. You must really be having a bad day.”

“You have no idea.”

My sigh was loud and I realized we were still whispering. I glanced up to see identical scowls on the faces of Gray and Foras. I found myself wishing whatever had pulled Alex Cabot out of the woodwork would be far more involved than a simple consultation, if only to get me away from the two of them. The old adage warning us to be careful what we wished for popped into mind, but I brushed it away as Alex spoke without turning to face me fully. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t letting his guard down for a moment.

“You took Evan Reynolds.”

I blinked. Somehow, that wasn’t what I expected. What did a New Jersey rogue have to do with a Georgia pack that didn’t even share the same society of beliefs? The only thing in common between them was their species.

“Yeah,” I admitted with a grimace as I looked away from him. “He didn’t give me a choice. I only wanted to talk to him, but he decided he didn’t like the offer. He shifted and started climbing the walls. I didn’t really have a choice. You know the laws as well as I do.”

I wondered if my regret showed. Despite my reputation for getting the job done, I wasn’t a shooter if there was another way. There was no joy in taking life. I knew that better than most.

“What did he say before you killed him?”

I looked back at him and found a trace of panic in his eyes. Yes, something was definitely wrong here.

“Nothing, really. Why don’t you level with me and tell me what’s going on? I might be a little more help if I had a clue, you know.”

If I’d not been watching his face, I would have missed the way he tensed. His body language gave nothing away, but then shifters were accustomed to having total control over their bodies. Their faces, on the other hand, weren’t so easily done. His jaw clenched and something about the set of his eyes became harder.

“I can’t. I would if I could, but I can’t. Things are getting out of control, fast. The less you know, the safer you are.”

I blinked. Safer? He was trying to protect
me
? Last I checked, that was my job.

“Alex—” I reached out to catch his arm and he froze under my touch. He thought I was going to take his soul. It was obvious from the way the fear tensed the lines of his body. I let go of him with a sharp jerk. I tried not to let it hurt my feelings. It was a waste of effort, especially in light of the past couple of days. “I want to help, but I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on. Why do you care about some rogue shifter I harvested five states away?”

He looked at me, really looked at me with the full force of those eyes, and then turned to study the crowd pulsing around us. I felt his magic brushing outward, seeking. It suddenly slammed down and he scooted a little further away from me on the bench.

“I can’t tell you, not right now. We’re not alone here. Come down to the Hatch tonight. Word is that you’ve been hanging out there. No one will think it odd if we run into each other.”

I started to protest, but the look on his face stopped me. He leaned across the space between us as if to kiss my cheek, but whispered his next words against my skin instead.

“I think you can help, but we have to do this my way.”

I blinked. Alex was up and striding away without a backward glance before I could protest. What on earth was going on in the shifter communities? Ben might know something. He was closer to them than I was. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t even know the right questions to ask until after my date tonight.

Was it just last week I wanted my life to be a less mundane? Next time I made wishes, they were going to be a lot more specific.

“Miss Bella, Miss Bella—”

Speaking of wishes. I turned in time to catch Lizzy as she barreled into me. I was swinging her into my lap out of instinct when I realized she’d leapt at me with no doubt I would catch her. Oh, to be that innocent again.

“The lady panda wasn’t in the pen. Mr. Ben says the zookeepers had taken her someplace nice and quiet to rest. Can I be a zookeeper when I grow up?”

She was asking
me
?

“Lizzy, you can be anything you want to be when you grow up, if you’re willing to work at it.”

“That’s what Mr. Ben said, too.”

She laid her head against my shoulder and I blinked when she yawned. Was it that late, already? Did kids her age nap or were they too big for that?

“Are you tired, baby?”

Foras and Gray had joined us and all three men looked at me. I think I’d shocked them. Sometimes, it’s good to remind the men around you that you were a woman and programmed for more than the obvious.

“A little. Can we have hamburgers for lunch? I’m a little hungry. I like mine with extra pickles. Pickles are yummy.”

“You sure can, honey. We’ll even throw in ice cream for dessert.”

“Strawberry? It’s my favorite.”

“Then strawberry it is.”

I started to stand up, but Gray leaned down to scoop the little girl out of my arms. I almost protested, but the shock of how empty they felt without her stopped me. If I were being totally truthful with myself, what stopped me was the sight of the radiant glow of the two halflings as Gray pulled Lizzy close.

“I’ve got her, Bella.” His voice was soft and I shivered with acute awareness that was more profound than anything sexual.

Our gazes met over the top of her head and something shifted inside. In another life, that could have been mine. With that flash of insight, I realized why I was so hurt over the set-up and engagement fiasco. It wasn’t real. I wanted it to be
real
. This man affected me in a way that no other had, living or dead. He made me want things I had no right to want. It was unfair and the Fates were being cruel. Gray wanted a chance to have a relationship, but what could I truly offer him? He deserved a family of his own and a wife who could share his life.

There was no life from the dead. The one stark reality that I couldn’t change was that I was very much dead.

“Let’s go feed the munchkin.”

Ben’s words broke the spell between us and I scrambled up from the bench. Foras stood a step back from the others, taking it all in. His dark eyes met mine and he arched a brow eloquently.

It made me wonder how deep his truth seeking ability went. Of course, anyone who knew me at all could probably have read me at that instant. I was thanking my lucky stars Gray didn’t know me very well as I followed after him, listening to Lizzy’s excited commentary on every exhibit we passed on the way to my car.

Hamburgers and ice cream at Fuddruckers. What more could a girl want?

Down the Hatch was hopping, but I didn’t have any trouble getting in the door. Gray had decided to come and sit in with the band, so we were pulled in the door as soon as the doorman saw us. Of course, Winston waited until Gray had wound his way toward the back stage entrance before leaning down to whisper in my ear.

“Alex is waiting at the bar.”

I glanced into his brown eyes and realized whatever was going on went deeper than the wolves if the bears were in on it, too. Traditionally, the bears and the wolves could be counted on allying against one another whenever possible. I didn’t understand the politics of it. Some fur didn’t rub well with others, I suppose. Part of me wished I’d been paying closer attention to the finer details. Like I said, unless shifters were threatening to expose our secrets, they were pretty much left to their own devices. They had their own Assembly just like the angels had their Orders. The Fairy, excuse me, the Fae races had their Courts. They really hated being called Fairies. Anyway, everyone was covered, right? I shivered as I wound my way through the crowd to find the cat behind the bar leaning over talking to Alex and made a mental not about learning lessons from hindsight.

“Hey there, beautiful. Apple martini coming right up.”

Was it my imagination or was blondie talking a little too loud? And why did he automatically assume he knew what I wanted? Who was watching me and why? If someone didn’t start forking up answers soon, I was going to start skinning beastmen. As it was, the idea had a certain appeal for working out my frustrations. I never had dealt well with periods of emotional crisis.

“That’s great,” I answered, instead, and slid onto the barstool. “So, how’ve you been, Alex? I didn’t think you still hung out here.”

There, I could play along. If it got the answers flowing a little bit faster, I could launch a Broadway musical. I was all for getting to the bottom of things.

“I still pop in every now and again.”

The bartender sat a cocktail napkin under my drink and I read the note scribbled on it.
Start of the show: 15 min.
I looked up and met his amber eyes. The cats were in on it, too. The seriousness of the look didn’t match the jovial expression. I smiled in acknowledgement and took a sip of my drink.

I started to say something, but was distracted by Gray coming through the crowd. All the revelations from earlier clogged my throat as he came nearer. More than one woman tried to step in his path, but he dodged them without really acknowledging them. The sea of lingering gazes at his back didn’t seem to faze him as he slipped between me and the man on the other side of me. I shivered as he slid a hand around me. Despite everything, the man made a part of me want to stand up and sing. Maybe it was hormonal or good clean lust. Whatever it was, I was seriously going to have to work around it before it got me into trouble. He looked across me to Alex with a proprietary air that might have bothered me yesterday and might well bother me tomorrow. Right that instant, however, it didn’t upset me at all. It felt right. His other hand slid down my arm to take my left hand in his. His fingers played with the diamond there. I blinked up at him. What game was he playing?

“I’m going to sit through both sets. Do you mind waiting for dinner?”

His words may have been for me, but his gaze was settled firmly on Alex. He’d been less than happy about the “kiss” on the cheek at the zoo, even after the explanation. Did it annoy me that he was acting all possessive and wanted to make the world think we were a couple? A little bit. I was woman enough to admit a certain thrill about it, too. If I only had him until Lizzy was safe, I might as well enjoy it.

“Gray, I don’t need to eat.” I couldn’t help but laugh up at him. It was a flimsy excuse to mark his territory.

“But you enjoy it.”

The purr in his voice implied more things than he had a right to. I had to force myself to remember we were playing the happy couple. I smiled up at him and knew that it had faded from my eyes by the hard look he gave me. I don’t know why it shocked me when he leaned in to press a kiss against my lips, but it did. My body clenched and tingled as I leaned into him. What started out as innocent, turned hot and passionate in a blink of an eye. He pulled away and smiled down at me far too smugly for my comfort factor. I blushed. I couldn’t help it. As far as first kisses went, it blew the top off the chart and set a whole new standard.

“I’ll see you after the show.”

With a last triumphant look at Alex, he turned and swaggered away and it was a hip-rolling swagger. I watched him go with a sigh. What the hell was I going to do about that man? He was far too appealing for his own good.

“I never thought I’d see it.”

I turned to Alex with a puzzled look. “What?”

“The infamous Arabella Morrison caught by Cupid’s bow. Granted, the man’s hot enough, but he’s rolled you on your ass. I hope he’s as good as advertised.”

I blushed harder. The two shifters started laughing and I rolled my eyes as I took a drink of my martini.

“My love life or lack thereof isn’t the topic of discussion tonight, gentlemen.”

That, of course, only made them laugh harder as the band filed out onto the stage. It wasn’t a full showing of the members and I found myself grateful. I didn’t need that kind of rush tonight. There were too many questions in the air to deal with that distraction. Having been through it before, I was prepared when the music started, but it still made me shiver.

“Listen for a moment.” Alex leaned over me. To an outsider, it would look like we were talking with our heads together so we wouldn’t shout over the volume of the music. I suddenly understood why they had wanted to wait until the show started.

“There’s an idea spreading across the community about coming out of the closet. Too many of us are tired of having to hide what we are.”

I looked at him sharply but he just smiled like he said something funny. “What’s your take on that?”

“Personally? It would be nice not to have to hide it. The contamination factor makes it hard to mingle among the mortals.” He shrugged at my incredulous look. “You don’t understand what it’s like. Anyway, yeah, I’d like to be able to tell women on the first date I’m a werewolf, but I’ll be careful not to bite you during sex so you don’t become one, too.”

I sat there, stunned. His weak attempt at humor didn’t even make a dent in my shock at the proposal. Of all the things I’d expected, this wasn’t it. Were they all suicidal?

“This is madness, you know that, right? You’re going to get an Execution Order issued. You know who’ll get sent to execute it, too. Thank you, but I don’t want to have to take you out.”

“Hey—” he held his hands up, “—I didn’t say I was actively going to parade it around. If the movement gets enough steam, I’m sure someone will run it up for approval. I’m not one to put my neck on the line for ideals. I’m too much of a coward for that. Let the trendsetters do it for the rest of us. My head is fine where it is.”

“Why are you telling me, then?” I glanced around and our bartender was keeping close enough so it didn’t appear we were talking privately. He caught my glance and brought me another drink. “Are you in on this, too?”

“Well, beautiful—” he wasted a smile on me, “—I’m with Alex here. It would be nice to announce what I am, but I’m not putting my neck out for the right. I like my life, thank you very much. I can’t run around seducing women in Hell.”

“You never know,” I replied with a laugh. “I can ask around, if you like. I apparently have strong ties there.”