Figure of Speech (Halle Shifters) (18 page)

Wanda seemed perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“Look at your son.” Chloe’s hand landed on his biceps. “Really look at him. He’s exhausted, he’s angry, he’s hurting. Is this what you wanted?”

“He’s always been melodramatic.” His mother’s annoyed sigh was one Jim had heard many times before. “And it’s not like you were around to get to know him, were you?” She tilted her head, and Jim wasn’t quite fast enough to stop what his mother was about to say. “How is your ex-boyfriend, by the way?”

Chloe glanced up at Jim. “I don’t—”

“Oh, don’t play coy with me. I saw my son when you were dating what’s-his-name. Were you even legal then? And he’s in charge of the police.” His mother looked delightedly scandalized. “Imagine the scandal if that got out.”

She sounded positively gleeful. It wouldn’t matter if it was all a lie. Gabriel Anderson would lose his job and any chance at a respectable one for the rest of his life. “Why are you doing this, Mother?”

She glanced at him with what seemed genuine regret. “I want alimony.”

“Talk to your lawyer.” Jim threw his hands in the air. “There’s nothing I can do about it. Father no longer speaks to me, remember?”

She shrugged. “He would if you got rid of his bastard.”

He growled, the sound no longer human. He turned away from his mother’s stunned expression toward Chloe, lifting a hand to her cheek. “Go in and talk to the patient for me, pretty.”

Chloe’s eyes went wide. “What about—” She pointed to her lips.

He kissed her forehead. “It’ll be fine, I promise.”

She bit her lip, but straightened her shoulders. “Okay.” She opened the door with a ready smile. “Hello, Mrs. Stanley. How is Van Gogh doing today?”

The door shut behind his mate, and Jim felt free to let loose on his mother. She’d just proven she was lying through her teeth. She knew
exactly
who Chloe was, and planned on using his mate to force him to do what she wanted.

Jim wasn’t going to allow that. His mother would keep her poisonous claws away from Chloe, or else. “You’re not welcome here.”

“James—”

“No. We’re done. Once and for all, done. I want a divorce.”

She blinked in shock. “Excuse me?”

“I am not your lawyer or your husband. I’m your
son
, and you’ve done nothing but abuse that relationship since the moment you and Dad decided it was over. I’m sick of hearing you bitch, Mother. Get out of my business, get out of my practice and stay out of my life.”

He turned on his heel and marched to his office, too upset to deal with any of the patients waiting to see him. How dare she come in here and threaten his mate over something he had no control over?

He carefully shut the door, unwilling even in his anger to upset his patients. He leaned back against the door and blew out a cleansing breath, trying to get his rage under control.

The last thing he wanted was to hear a knock at his door, but Chloe’s scent was on the other side. “Yes, Chloe?”

“Um, Van Gogh has a big boo-boo on his bum-bum.”

Trust his mate to get him to laugh. He opened the door to find her holding a folder to her chest, her eyes wide and bright as she looked up at him anxiously. “A what now?”

Her shoulders shook. “A boo-boo on his bum-bum.”

“Your words or his mommy’s?”

“His mommy’s.” Chloe followed him to the exam room, glancing around anxiously. “Your mother?”

“Gone, I hope.” He wasn’t certain if forgiving her would even be worth it at this point. She’d been a good mother once, but his father’s philandering had soured her. “I’m sorry. We’ll need to warn Gabe about her threats.”

“Mm-hm.” She opened the door into the exam room with a cheery smile. “I brought Dr. Woods, Mrs. Manly.” Chloe winced. “I mean, Mrs. Stanley.”

Mrs. Stanley shot Jim an uncertain look. “Hello, Dr. Woods.”

He smiled reassuringly at Mrs. Stanley. “Okay, Chloe, show me what you saw.”

Chloe snapped on fresh gloves and showed him the wound, her hands shaking. Her left hand lay across the dog’s back, holding Van Gogh steady. The big retriever merely panted, its eyes curious as Chloe probed the wound with her shaking right hand.

“It seems shallow enough. A few stitches and it should be fine.” It was a clean cut, not a bite wound. “How did he get this cut, Mrs. Stanley?”

“Long story short, my boys were playing ninjas with my kitchen knives and the dog got excited.”

Jim looked up at her. “Are they all right?”

She smiled sweetly. “Eventually they’ll be able to sit down again, but otherwise they’re fine.” She sighed wearily. “I swear, it’s like trying to raise wolf pups.”

Jim coughed. “I can imagine.”

“Foam swords?” Chloe’s words were carefully measured as she put together the suture kit Jim needed.

“What?” Mrs. Stanley looked at Chloe in confusion.

“Buy them foam swords.” Chloe began cleaning Van Gogh’s wound in preparation for the stitches. “They can’t hurt each other, or Van Gogh, with those.”

Mrs. Stanley’s brows rose. “Not a bad idea. If they’re going to ninja each other, at least they won’t get too damaged that way.” She shook her head as Jim started stitching up her dog. “I’m just glad no one was badly injured.”

“Who’s watching them now?” Jim began carefully closing the cut, enjoying the way Chloe quietly crooned to Van Gogh the whole time.

“Their father. And man, is he good with guilt. By the time I had Van Gogh loaded in the car they were in tears and begging us to make sure Van Gogh lived.” She shook her head again. “You think you’ve made your home safe, put things where the kids can’t get to them, but it’s amazing how resourceful they can be when they really want something.”

“What did they do?”

“They pushed chairs over to the cabinet where I’d hidden the knives, grabbed what they wanted, and before I could stop them they’d already hurt Van Gogh.” She shuddered. “I’m just glad it wasn’t worse than it was.”

“You’ll need to make sure the knives are locked away.” Jim finished up, cleaning up the suture tray before taking off his gloves.

“And the cheese graters.” When Jim looked at her, Mrs. Stanley rolled her eyes. “Please don’t ask. That was not a fun emergency room trip.”

“What gave them the idea to be ninjas?” Jim patted Van Gogh on the head and helped him get down on the floor. The dog would be fine. It was his mommy who was having a meltdown.

“Something about teenage turtles who just happen to be ninjas.” Mrs. Stanley took hold of Van Gogh’s leash and snapped it onto the dog’s collar. “Thanks, Dr. Woods. Thank you, Chloe.”

“You’re welcome.” Chloe smiled at Mrs. Stanley. “And good luck with your mutant turtle wannabes.”

“Ugh. Thanks. I’ll need it.” She shook both Jim and Chloe’s hands and left the exam room.

“Wow.” Chloe started cleaning the exam table. “Think she’ll be all right?”

“Yeah. Her kids are a handful, but they’re bright. She’ll figure it out.” He kissed the back of her head. “Just like ours will be.”

“Scary thought.”

“But true.” Jim held open the exam room door for her. “How’s your leg?”

“Weak, but it doesn’t hurt.” She kissed his chin. “Thank you for the cane, by the way.”

“You’re welcome, little vixen.” He would do just about anything to make her life easier.

“Now get back to work, Doc.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He watched her limp away, smiling like a big old sap. Between Chloe and Spencer, he had all the family he needed.

Chapter Eighteen

“So.” Barney leaned back, tilting the dining room chair onto two legs. How it held the huge Grizzly Chloe would never know. His cowboy hat shadowed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth were turned down in a barely visible scowl. “Who the fuck is the other white shifter?”

They’d finally managed to arrange a time when all of the Hunters were free to discuss Chloe’s dream walk. Chloe had gotten some chili and biscuits started, and they were just waiting for everything to finish cooking. In the meantime, they had already begun talking about the dream she’d had with Fox and Lion. Spencer had given up his makeshift bedroom for this meeting, keeping George occupied while Chloe and Jim moved the furniture around. They’d put Spencer’s bedroom back together after everyone left for the evening.

Barney, surprisingly, seemed a bit grumpy, but she wasn’t sure she had the balls to ask him what had crawled up his ass and died. Instead, she continued to quietly set the table, allowing the two Hunters to mull over what she’d seen and heard in the spirit world. They were still waiting for Gabe to arrive. He’d had to answer an emergency call just before his shift ended, so he was running a little bit late. Chloe was setting a place for Sarah as well, hoping Gabe’s mate would come.

The men really needed to mend their fences with each other. Gabe and Jim were trying, but both of them were stubborn as hell. Her sessions with Sarah after her beating had helped her mend fences with the Omega, but there was still an underlying tension between them whenever Gabe or Jim was mentioned that Chloe wanted resolved. Gabe was a good friend of hers, who’d stood by her when she’d needed someone who wasn’t a relative.

Spencer started doing wheelies, much to Chloe’s amusement. “I dunno, but it ain’t me.”

Barney turned and stared at Spencer, the scowl lightening slightly.

“What?” Spencer, up on two wheels, started rolling backward, almost knocking Ryan over. “Sorry, dude.”

Ryan shook his head and sat at the dining room table, a beer in hand. He took a swig and set the bottle on the table. “More importantly, what does Julian’s presence have to do with all of it? If anything happens to him, Cyn will be upset. Then Glory will be upset.” He grinned, his teeth turning into fangs. “Then I get pissy.”

“Down, tiger.” Barney edged his hat back. “Papa Bear has this one covered.”

Ryan’s brows shot up. “Oh? Do tell.”

“I—” The doorbell interrupted Barney. “That must be Gabe.”

“I’ll get it.” Jim headed for the front door, and Chloe, smelling that the biscuits were just about done, headed into the kitchen. She pulled the biscuits out of the oven and began putting everything together, the hot biscuits smelling like heaven next to the spiciness of the chili.

She ladled the chili into a serving bowl and carefully picked it up, aware her left hand could spasm and drop the damn thing all over the place. But she was determined to do this, to make her body work despite its handicaps. She was aware Ryan watched her every move as she took the bowl and placed it in the center of the dining room table with a relieved sigh. “Ryan, can you get the butter for the biscuits, please?”

Ryan followed her into the kitchen. “How are you, kiddo? The doc treating you all right?”

She shivered. “Hell yeah.”

Ryan gagged as he opened the fridge. “Please don’t make me picture anything that involves you naked.”

She giggled and grabbed the basket full of hot biscuits. “At least I haven’t had sex in a public place.”

He rolled his eyes at her and followed her into the dining room, where Gabe and Sarah were greeting Barney.

Barney, on the other hand, looked like a cornered mouse. It only took one look at Gabe and Sarah to understand why.

Heather stood with them, smirking at the huge Grizzly, her hands on her hips. “What’s wrong, Boo-Boo? Weren’t expecting to see me?”

“Why are you here, Frodo? Don’t you have a ring to destroy?”

“You’re avoiding me.” Heather took a step forward. Chloe hoped Barney didn’t see the nerves riding her cousin. Heather was generally afraid of larger men, and the fact that her mate had turned out to be a Grizzly easily Alex’s height, if not taller, had to make her apprehensive.

“Duh.” Barney took another step back. “I don’t have time to sit around eating elevensies no matter how cute a little Hobbit you are.”

Heather glanced pointedly toward the steaming chili and biscuits. “Sure does look like dinner to me, Boo-Boo.”

“Are you one of those people who buys a haunted house and plans their curtains around the ghost’s tastes?” Barney shook his head. “What part of ‘don’t want a mate, go away’ don’t you get?”

Heather tilted her head. “The whole don’t want a mate, go away part.”

Barney snarled.

Chloe set a place for Heather right next to Barney’s chair. If the big, bad-tempered Grizzly was what her cousin wanted, Chloe would help her get him. “Dinner’s ready.” Chloe settled down, smiling when Jim sat right next to her. “Hope you bike it.”

“I love chili and biscuits.” Jim grabbed the huge bowl, growling at Ryan. “Mine.”

Ryan stared at Chloe. “Can’t you put a muzzle on him or something?”

Jim turned to Chloe, still clutching the chili. “Next time he shifts, let’s tranq his ass and sell him to a circus.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and stole the ladle out of the chili, pouring some into her bowl. “I’m hungry.”

Jim immediately put the bowl down, putting some biscuits on her plate. “You want butter?”

“You two are so sweet it’s disgusting.” Barney nabbed the basket of biscuits and took five. “You should make candy.”

“You should shove a biscuit in your craw before Jimmy rips your throat out. In fact, I’ll help.” Heather did just that, shoving a biscuit in Barney’s mouth, much to his obvious shock. “Now. I heard something about white shifters?”

“Hmph fd u fr ft?” Barney swallowed hard, barely chewing the biscuit. “I mean, how did you hear that?”

Heather hitched her thumb toward Ryan, who shrugged. “Family.”

Barney grunted. “Right.” He pointed toward Heather. “You’re not a Hunter.”

“But I’m just like Chloe. I’m half Fox, half Bear. If they went after her because of that, what are the odds they’ll come after me?”

From the arrested expression on Barney’s face, that hadn’t even occurred to him.

“The rest of my family would be in danger as well. We have the right to know what’s going on.” Heather crossed her arms over her chest. “So they sent me.”

“Why?” Chloe and Ryan were doing their best to keep everyone in the loop. Why had they sent Heather?

Heather shrugged. “Not sure, but here I am, on Uncle Will’s orders.”

Ryan and Chloe exchanged an amused glance as Heather once again focused on Barney.
Sure
she was here as a liaison. And Uncle Will was the most innocent man on the planet.

This was sheer matchmaking at its finest. Uncle Will had given Heather a job that set her with Barney in order to force him to acknowledge the bond, all with the appearance of legitimacy. It was brilliant, and there was nothing Barney could do about it.

Barney shot her a worried look before clearing his throat. “All right. This is what we’ve got so far. Francois is still working on tracking down our handler, but it’s not looking good. His credit cards and bank accounts haven’t been touched, and his landlord hasn’t seen him in three weeks.”

“You think he’s dead?” Chloe shivered. “Why?”

“One of the many, many things we’re working on.” Barney managed to get the chili away from Ryan and gave some to Heather, much to her surprise. He then put some in his own bowl before passing it along to Gabe. “I’m beginning to wonder if we’re dealing with more than one faction of Senators.”

“A case of the left hand trying to jerk off while the right hand makes a peanut butter sandwich?”

Everyone stared at Sarah.

Sarah sank in her chair, her face red. “I’ll shut up now.”

Spencer grinned at her. “Do you have a sister?”

Sarah shook her head, smiling shyly. Gabe glared at Spencer and wrapped a possessive arm around Sarah.

“Damn. Too bad.” Spencer grimaced. “All joking aside, as an outsider to all of this, I disagree with Sarah. I mean, what are the odds that you’d have some secret operation to eliminate a group of people simply because they’re half-breeds and not have the whole shifter world aware of it? You’d think someone would get suspicious, right?”

Barney’s brows rose. “We
are
suspicious.”

“And the CIA doesn’t necessarily know what Homeland Security is up to, and vice versa. It’s possible.” Gabe used a biscuit to sop up the last of his chili. “The real question would be, why?”

“And how does it tie in to the white shifters, or is that a different issue altogether?” Jim took hold of Chloe’s hand.

She squeezed, trying to reassure him. “What about the person Francois was supposed to get ahold of? Has he found phlegm yet?”

“I got a call from Francois. He finally got a hold of Artemis Smith. He and his sister will be arriving in Halle shortly.” Barney winced. “I
really
hate dealing with those two.”

“Why?” Chloe couldn’t understand the distaste on Barney’s face.

“Because they… Well, they’re sort of… They kind of like to…” He huffed out a breath like a two-year-old. “They’re fucking annoying, okay?”

She stared, wide-eyed, and wondered just how bad the Smiths had to be to get this sort of reaction from Barney. “Okay.”

“But they’re damn good at their jobs,” he added begrudgingly. “I just wish they’d grow the hell up.”

Gabe choked out a laugh. “This from the man who broke into my house to play with my Wii?”

Heather was staring at Barney with unholy glee. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

“Over my dead body.” Barney stood. “I’m outta here. Keep Frodo away from anything dangerous or I’ll pull a Nazgul on your asses, got me?” Heather snarled, but Barney pointedly ignored her, turning instead to Gabe. “I’ll let you know when the Smiths arrive.”

Barney left without another word to anyone.

Heather slumped in her chair. “That was fun.” She shoved a biscuit in her mouth and stared longingly at the door.

Chloe smiled, hoping to lighten the mood. “Pie?”

“With ice cream?” Spencer’s puppy eyes were almost as cute as George’s. George, who was currently being loved on by Ryan, had been a good boy while they ate, sitting quietly at Jim’s feet until Chloe stood to get dessert.

“Sounds good to me. Need help getting it?” Jim also stood, tugging her into the kitchen without waiting for an answer. “What’s up with Heather and Barney?”

“They’re mates and Barney doesn’t want to acknowledge it.”

“Why?” Jim pulled out the ice cream while Chloe began slicing the apple pie.

“She’s young, he’s a Hunter, she’s a Bunsun-Williams, who knows.” She began plating the pie, smiling as he put ice cream on each slice. “But he won’t be able to deny the mating bond for too long. The dreams will see to that.”

“I hope so. I don’t want to see your cousin suffer the way you did.”

Jim sounded so remorseful she couldn’t help but hug him. “We’re over that, remember? No more beating yourself up, okay?”

He stared at her for a moment before hugging her back. “I really don’t deserve you.”

She laughed smugly. “I know, sweetie. I know.”

He followed her back into the dining room, their arms loaded down with pie.

Three days. Jim stared out at his back yard, the desire to shift riding him hard. It had been three days since the Hunters left his house, reassuring him that they were working on Chloe’s case.

Three. Fucking. Days.

He hadn’t heard from anyone except Ryan in that time, and Ryan had mostly shrugged and asked how Chloe was doing.

It was driving him insane.

Chloe was sleeping upstairs, exhausted from her first few days on the job with him and Irene. She’d done well, but she still got flustered when dealing with their patients’ owners, and her physical ailments made doing simple tasks more difficult. Her speech impediment was also a source of embarrassment for her, but so far he hadn’t run across any complaints.

He expected that would change. Not everyone was as kind as the people he worked with. He would try to shield her from that, but Chloe was stronger than anyone he’d ever known. If anyone could survive a little rudeness intact, it would be his mate.

A sudden movement outside caught his eye. What was that? With the windows and doors closed, it was difficult to get a whiff, but Jim sniffed anyway. Was it an animal?

The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Whatever—no,
whoever
—was out there was a shifter. There was the faint scent Wolf, a familiar one.

The asshole who’d attacked him outside his clinic was back, and this time, he’d come to Jim’s den.

Jim took off his clothes and opened the back door before allowing the shift to flow over him. His senses sharpened as his paws hit the dirt, scanning for the invader.

There. Golden eyes glared at him before the Wolf struck, snapping and snarling at Jim.

Jim barely managed to dodge, the Wolf’s jaws snapping closed perilously close to his muzzle. The other Wolf was bigger than Jim. Odds were good he’d fought more often in this form, seeing as how Jim had never fought as a Wolf.

But Jim had beaten him to a standstill before and wasn’t about to allow a little thing like experience stop him from defeating his enemy. This was Jim’s den, and Jim’s mate was inside.

No fucking way was this asshole getting past him.

Jim dodged another attack, analyzing the way the other Wolf moved, using his experience as a kick-boxer to figure out the best way to approach his larger target. He reared up on his hind legs when his adversary did, both of them scratching and biting, testing each other’s resolve.

Speaking of getting past someone, where the hell were the guards Max had promised him? He doubted they were off getting a latte, which meant either the guy had slipped past them, or…

He hoped it wasn’t
or
. Explaining to the Puma Alpha that his men were dead wasn’t something Jim relished doing.

The Wolf grabbed hold of Jim’s ear, yanking and pulling, drawing blood. Jim fought back, snapping at the Wolf’s foreleg, forcing the other Wolf to let go.