Angelic Avenger (17 page)

“It hasn’t been called off long if she’s still creating excuses to spend her weekends with you.”

It wasn’t a question, really. Maybe I should have made it one, but I couldn’t bring myself to play the naïve lover. He must have understood because he answered it in the same fashion.

“About three months. She’s been holding out hope.”

“You’ve not dated since?”

I seriously didn’t want to play twenty questions about his love life before me, but something had given her reasons to hang onto the idea of happily ever after with him. Even the most delusional woman would realize it wasn’t going to happen after three months unless…

“Here and there, I suppose. I don’t have a lot of time, really. Maggie and I still met for dinner and a movie when we had nothing else to do.”

He wouldn’t look at me and I
knew
.

“And it usually ended up being a little more?”

“Not all the time, but occasionally. Just sex. We both knew the relationship was over and it was casual. I stopped seeing her for even
that
six weeks ago. She has to understand that it’s well and truly over.”

“Could it be because you let the casual relationship and the fringe benefits linger?”

He cringed at the sarcasm in my voice.

“I didn’t plan it to happen that way. It was more habit than passion. She stopped talking marriage and kids and plans, so it was easy to delude myself that we were on the same page.”

At least he was adult enough to admit he had been deluding himself on it. At the moment, I didn’t like him very much despite the aching need he fueled in the pit of my stomach. Still, I tried to be mature about it and not be judgmental.

“Until?” I prompted.

The coffee pot beeped and I was glad to turn away from him. I took my time getting the coffee poured and the cream pitcher out of the fridge. Finally, I carried his cup and the creamer to the table. He waited until I sat down with my own before he continued. The tension was slowly building between us and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

“About six weeks ago, I came in from my morning run. We’d ended up at her apartment and she wasn’t up yet. On my way in the back door, her answering machine was taking a message from her sister. Essentially, her sister was asking if I’d come up to snuff, yet, because their grandmother was making noises about setting the date for the wedding. I confronted her and we had words.”

“And this time you stuck to your guns?”

“Pretty much.”

“Was that when dear old daddy came to talk to you about me?”

His eyes widened. The classic dear-in-the-headlights look. Busted. He was oh so busted.

“How did you know?”

“Other than the strong resemblance? One of the knacks I have is sensing power. Your power is a lesser version of his.”

“Wow. I didn’t realize that was one of the cast-off powers. Does Gavreel know?”

He honestly looked impressed, but I wasn’t so easily turned. The little extra benefits of my dead status were not the topic of conversation here.

“I doubt it. It’s never come up in conversation. That’s beside the point, though. Was it?”

He looked away and I had my answer.

“It was easier to abandon her bed because you suddenly had a new prospect, is that it?” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice so my tone was strangely empty. Deep inside, I could feel my heart breaking a little at the realization that Gray wasn’t as perfect as I thought he was. Funny, I hadn’t even realized it was involved. Up until that moment, I’d assumed it was lust and nothing more. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

“No, that’s not it at all. I’ll admit he approached me with the suggestion and I asked around. Your reputation made you seem larger than life and it was intriguing. That’s not why I stopped seeing her, even casually.”

“So I had nothing to do with it?”

“Not really. Hearing that message told me she would never accept me on a casual basis. She was riding the situation with the delusion that I was jittery and if she stayed around on my terms, I’d come around to her way of thinking. I knew what I wanted for a long-term relationship and she wasn’t it. She wasn’t taking my words at face value. To have taken advantage of the situation any more than I had, no matter how inadvertently, would have been wrong.”

“Please tell me you’re really not that naïve about women, Gray?” I sighed into my coffee cup.

“Oh, please. You had Foras all but living here and convinced yourself it was totally innocent on all accounts. You were oblivious to his intentions. Tell me
that
wasn’t naïve.”

Okay, he had me there. Carefully, I put my cup on the table.

“New ground rule: Anything that happened before we met doesn’t figure into the equation. Agreed?”

“Agreed. Now, having said that, exactly how familiar did that damned cat get last night?”

I blinked and shrugged. “Closer than I would have liked, but it’s all in the name of a research.”

“Research? That’s a new way to put it.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and shrugged again. “I’m working to avert a disaster of monumental proportions. He’s my door in. By posing as his newest fling, I can get close enough to talk to people who wouldn’t talk to me ordinarily. It’s all in the job description for the day.”

“And that’s making you the envy of every female cat out there. Be careful someone doesn’t get the bright idea to try to turn you in a dark alley.”

He hid his smile behind his cup. Only his eyes showed his relief that the topic was changed to something a little less personal. The safest approach was the high road, so I teased back and put it from my mind.

“I’m immune.”

“Yeah, but women are vicious.”

I raised my brow as laughter bubbled up. Somehow, I thought he meant me. How unfair was that? I’d been perfectly nice, even.

“Well, if you have that opinion, maybe men are more your speed. I’m sure I can find someone to your fancy.”

It was mean and a bit vindictive, but it made me feel better. He choked on his coffee as Ben strolled into the kitchen looking sleep tousled and weary, wearing the familiar uniform of a slightly too tight T-shirt and jeans.

“Now, Bella, that was a low blow, even for you. Apologize to the man.”

I laughed, taking a sip of my coffee, enjoying the humor of the situation until his next words turned the tables on me.

“Of course, what does it say for you if the man who’s ready to go up against the biggest and baddest angel of them all for your affection is gay?”

Yeah, yeah, very funny. I’d started it, but they had finished it. I opted for the discreet exit to get dressed to start the day.

Chapter Fifteen

For some reason, my thoughts of the evening couldn’t stay on the job. In my mind, I was mulling over the issue with my new boyfriend and his former lover. Somehow, I would have felt better if the dings and tarnish on his armor didn’t show so harshly in my mind. Well, what can you say? Knights in shining armor went out with the dark ages and fairy tales. Real men have issues.

“You’re not playing at being very convincing, baby.”

Craig’s words were whispered against my neck in a bare breath.

“Sorry, honey. I’m distracted by things at home.”

“Be careful your distraction doesn’t blow up in our faces and get me killed.”

He said it with a smile in his voice, but I couldn’t help but acknowledge the truth of it.

We were in a club on the seedier side of town. It wasn’t a place I would have chosen voluntarily under any circumstances. I
really
didn’t like the way the women were eyeing me and we’d turned down at least three inappropriate offers. Well, three that I’d heard, anyway. Heaven only knew how many Craig had gotten while I was off in my own little world. It was one of those places where college kids came for a walk on the wild side and not all of them returned fully human, if at all. My reputation either hadn’t preceded me here or they simply weren’t intimidated by it. The possibility of being pulled into a back alley and having one of them try to turn me was suddenly very real in my mind. Damn Gray for mentioning it, anyway. I doubted it would even be possible, but I was pretty sure it would still be painful.

“I must say, you are certainly getting around, Ms. Morrison.”

I blinked and was glad of Craig at my back to keep me from jumping as I turned to face that familiar British accent.

“Well, hello there, gorgeous.” I let my words slur and had enough alcohol on my breath where even a shifter would have trouble telling if it was forced or not. “I wouldn’t think this is your kind of scene.”

His dark hair curled around his face and I let my gaze drift down him suggestively. His lean body was encased in leather that told me he wasn’t wearing anything between nature and the casing. Some men can go commando and make it look sexy. He was one of them. I sighed and smiled wider.

“It’s not, really. I came because I got a call that you were here asking the same questions you were bandying about last night. It makes a wolf wonder exactly what you’re up to, now doesn’t it?”

“I’m simply trying to get a feel for things so I fit in is all.” I tried to look totally innocent and drunk, but Craig tensed behind me, letting me know I might be playing it up a little too much.

“Bugger that.” The green eyes sharpened with far more intelligence than I would have liked as they bore into mine. “You’re up to something. Why don’t we get a booth and chat a bit about it? If you keep on the way you’re going, you’re going to cause far more trouble than even you are worth.”

Somewhere in there, I’m sure there was a compliment, provided I looked hard enough. He didn’t wait for my answer as he stepped through the crowd. For the first time, I realized he was someone in the shifter world. Where Craig and I had been forced to push and shove through the crowd, it parted in front of the wolf like magic. I followed, my hand in Craig’s, and took full stock of the situation.

Several other wolves were moving tandem with us in the crowd, but they were the standard bodyguard issue. I knew that if this little meeting went sour, I might make it out of here alive, but poor Craig was going to be a skin in front of someone’s fireplace. I hated to be put in a corner, but I felt the box closing around us by the time we slid into the booth in the far corner by the emergency exit. At least the man had a feeling for discretion.

“Now, Ms. Morrison, we’ve not had the pleasure of a formal introduction though I know more about you than you’d be comfortable with at this juncture. I’m Gavin Danford.”

I blinked and realized what had been nagging me since I’d first seen him. “You’re the new Wolf King.”

He acknowledged my guess with a small nod as he settled in his seat.

Well, blow me down. I’m running in some pretty exalted circles all of a sudden. Most leaders kept their status under wraps outside of their own communities. The way Craig suddenly curled against my side made me realize he’d not known it, either. The stakes had been raised beyond his life and my comfort zone. I dropped the drunken act and met his stare with interest. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen through it, anyway.

“Very good. I’d heard you had a sharp wit. Let’s cut to the heart of the matter, shall we? Why are you making noises about the clubs, Bella. May I call you Bella?”

“You can call me anything you want, Mr. Danford. You’ve not been in town long enough for any of the facts about you to filter through networks. If I know the story right, the old king imported you because he didn’t trust any of the locals to be strong or ruthless enough to keep the peace. He thought they were going to squabble over the kingship, so he fixed the problem before he died. Do I thank you for saving me a lot of work or congratulate you on being the lesser of the evils as far as Kevin was concerned?”

I expected the verbal insinuation to put his guard up, but he laughed it off.

“Your intelligence is better than I’d been led to believe.” He smiled as he inclined his head from his elegant sprawl. He lifted two fingers on the hand resting at the edge of the table and a perimeter was established as his bodyguards stepped out from the crowd and turned their backs to us. Without question, they pressed the crowd back far enough so we had some bit of privacy to talk.

I guess I passed my test. Goodie.

“Oh, I know a lot of things. I’m neutral as far as shifter politics, though, so I can’t help you quell the rebellions.”

I was playing the card that said he really didn’t know what I was after. It was too good to be true, granted, but you can’t blame a girl for trying. Kevin Yarrow hadn’t been dead for a year, yet. Liver cancer had given him enough time to set his up his succession before granting him a painless death. The local packs that answered to him had been less than pleased with his choices, though. I personally thought he was genius. Kingship was based on strength, not heredity. All the local Alphas were too evenly matched for a clear succession from within, so he’d made the best choice available. He’d taken applications from without. Apparently, Gavin Danford had been the strongest candidate to apply. It made me wonder how strong he truly was because he had to be hiding it. The bodyguards standing five feet away sent more of a surge against my senses than the king sitting across the table.

“Rebellions. What an intriguing way to put it.”

Busted. Maybe Kevin should have kept one of the locals in charge. They were at least afraid of me and not nearly so smart. In the perfect world, smart was good. When you’re trying to be sneaky? It’s very, very bad.

“So you know what’s brewing?”

I stopped trying to hide it and viewed the situation from another perspective. This man controlled the largest and most aggressive shifter community in the state. Turning him to our side of the equation could go a long way to establishing a long term solution.

“I do. I’m curious, though. Your sort doesn’t generally associate with us and our problems. You’ve said you’re neutral. If you’re not going to be an active participant in the revolution, why are you down here among us digging up intelligence personally?”

His gaze flickered to Craig, then back to me. I knew he was wondering who else was involved with me, but I didn’t tip my hand. I couldn’t. Just as many people could die by a slip of the tongue as a swipe of a sword.