The Beast in Him (35 page)

“Come on, Smitty! It’s a beautiful morning. Everything is covered in snow and the sun is shining bright. But it may snow again later, so let’s do this now.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s morning,” she insisted.

“Jessie Ann.”

“Six-thirty.”

His eyes popped open and he glared at the beautiful naked woman on his chest. “You woke me up at six-thirty in the morning? Woman, have you lost your mind?”

“Come on, Smitty,” she whined. “I need my wild dog morning greeting.”

“Which is?”

“Ummm... let’s see. Hugs, chaste kisses, and nose rubs between Packmates.”

Smitty shook his head. “Nah, I can’t do all that.” She pouted, looking more adorable than was fair. In resignation, he offered, “I can fuck you until you pass out.”

Jessie shrugged and sighed. “Well... if that’s the best you can do.”

Smitty turned his muzzle away, refusing to participate. Jess tapped him again, forcing the issue. Her Pack wasn’t here, so he’d have to do for now. He still tried to ignore her, so she slapped the deer’s femur against his head and whined just enough to be annoying but not make him storm away.

Growling, Smitty looked around like he expected to find someone watching them. When he seemed to conclude the coast was clear, he gripped the other end of the bone between his massive jaws and pulled. Jess pulled back and Smitty dug his feet in, forcing Jess to work.

It was true. Somehow, some way, she’d gotten Bobby Ray Smith to play tug in the snow with the remnants of their morning meal.

She gave herself another month before she’d have the snobby wolf bastard chasing his tail too.

It wasn’t until her elbow hit his ribs that he woke up.

“You’re missing the best part.”

“There’s a best part?”

Jessie sighed. “See? Once again proving my point we have nothing in common.”

“I’m sorry. I just can’t get past the ears.”

She turned off the DVD. “They’re elves. They’re supposed to have pointy ears.”

Smitty yawned and sat up straight. “There’s gotta be something we can both agree to watch.”

“Like?”

“Uh... westerns?”

“You’re kidding, right?” Jessie finger-combed her hair behind her ear. “What about a good British mystery?”

“British? Isn’t that like the elves?”

“Forget the British.”

“How about horror movies?”

“You mean like scary ones that are psychological in nature, taking you to the ultimate brink of fear?”

“Nah, I meant zombie ones.”

“Zombies?” Jessie shrugged. “I never got the zombie thing. I mean, they’re already dead. Why do they need blood?”

“Forget the zombies.” Smitty glanced at the bookshelf holding one of the Pack’s DVD collections. Floor to ceiling and three cases deep, it seemed to have every geek movie ever made. Amazing. All those movies and nothing they could agree on. On a sigh, hope gone, he mumbled, “The Godfather?”

“One, two, or three?”

“That third one doesn’t exist for me.”

Jessie turned to face him, her eyes wide in shock. “The third one doesn’t exist for me either.”

Afraid to hold out hope, Smitty asked, “Goodfellas?”

“In my top five. But anything by Scorsese or Coppolla is a must-see. If not a must-see two thousand times.” She took his hand, held it against her chest. “What about the old black and white ones? From the thirties and forties?”

“Anything with Jimmy Cagney.”

“I love Jimmy Cagney.” Her grip on his hand tightened. “We actually have something in common, Bobby Ray. I’m so happy I’m gonna cry.”

“And if we have one thing in common, I’m sure we have others.”

Jessie patted his hand. “Let’s not push it, baby.”

“Good point.”

Jess sat on the couch by the window, staring out at the snow-covered trees just outside the house. Except for the fire blazing in the fireplace, the house was dark and quiet. She’d called in earlier, made sure her Pack was okay. They were and apparently having a great time during the storm. Although Shaw had been heard muttering, “I’m so calling a zoo for those pups.”

Strong fingers stroked down the column of her neck. “You all right, darlin’?”

“I’m fine.”

Smitty sat on the other end of the couch and they stared at each other. Jess had no idea for how long, until Smitty opened his arms. “Come here, darlin’.” She did, crawling over to him and settling in between his legs, her back to his chest. He held her tight, his chin resting on her now-healed shoulder, although she had no doubt it wouldn’t be the last time he tore into it. She expected it to look like his mother’s one day.

They fell asleep like that, holding on to each other. Surprisingly early in the morning, Jess woke up to Smitty kissing her body. They enjoyed each other for hours, took a break to eat, then went back at it.

The storms had ended and they decided to have a late lunch/early dinner in town. But when Jess walked out of the bathroom in a pair of panties and nothing else, she found Smitty getting dressed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Get dressed, Jessie Ann.”

“What’s wrong?

“I figured with all the snow, Wilson’s plane out of JFK would be grounded until the storm passed, but he’d be forced to stay inside. I sent the Reed boys to watch out for him. Put your Pack and mine on alert. But he’s gone. So’s his Pack.”

She dropped to a crouch and dug into her duffle bag. “And?” She knew there was an and.

“He knows I’m with you. His momma has already got word to my daddy’s cousin.”

“Eggie?”

“Yup.”

Eggie Smith was a hardcore Smith who spent the majority of his time as wolf in the hills outside of Smithtown. The man hated everybody and everything except his mate of twenty years and being a Smith. Eggie was the one you called in when a Smith got crossed. He had no boundaries and no problem taking down anyone he deemed a threat to his family.

She felt panic slither down her spine. “I’ll be dressed in two minutes.”

“It’ll be okay, Jessie Ann. My daddy and momma are still here. We’ll talk to ’em.”

For some reason, she really didn’t think that would help.

CHAPTER 31

“It’s nothing personal,” Kristan said firmly. “I really just don’t like you.” She nodded. “What do you think?”

Johnny shrugged. “Seems rude.”

“You think?” She bit into her candy apple. Mr. Shaw had told them where to find the staff kitchen. And the staff at this hotel had the hookup. She couldn’t tell her mom or Jess. They’d finish off the cabinet filled with chocolates in less than thirty minutes.

“Maybe you could tell him you’ve got some school things coming up and you changed your mind about visiting this summer. You know, blow him off. Like you did that kid who helped you with biology.”

She glared at him over her apple. “I did not blow him off.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure. I found him sobbing in the locker room before gym because he was PMSing.”

She laughed. “You did not.”

“How’s the candy apple?”

“Good. How’s the caramel?”

He held it out for her and she leaned over the counter to bite it while holding hers up for him so he could do the same. Johnny DeSerio really was cute. She knew quite a few girls in her class who thought the whole deep-thinking-artist thing really sexy.

Not her, of course. She liked football players and she adored basketball players. All that height. She’d inherited very little from the wolf side of her DNA. Even shifted she was simply shaggier than the rest of them, but still mostly wild dog. She didn’t mind. Wolves were a little too cranky for her. She liked being happy. Liked enjoying her life. After knowing her biological father she had absolutely no regrets about the fact he’d wanted nothing to do with her or her mother. He’d only made her realize how wonderful her real father was. Danny might not be blood, but it didn’t matter. He loved her, took care of her, and treated her like his own. Nothing else mattered.

Johnny slowly chewed his bite of apple while staring at her. He wanted to kiss her. She knew the signs. She wouldn’t, though. Not yet. Not until the time was absolutely perfect.

“Good?”

His gaze snapped away from her lips to stare into her eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s really good.”

“So is yours.”

She licked caramel off her bottom lip and watched in fascination as Johnny turned an interesting shade of red.

“Kristan?”

Kristan spun around. Walt Wilson stood in the doorway of the staff kitchen. When he stopped trying to contact her, she’d prayed he’d given up and gone back to Alabama. Apparently no such luck for her. Shit, shit, shit!

“What are you doing here?”

“You haven’t returned any of my messages.”

She hadn’t. She hadn’t wanted to talk to him. And she didn’t even want to think about how he tracked her down. She’d finally had to admit to herself that the man simply creeped her the hell out. Danny was her dad. He’d always be her dad. And he never creeped her out.

“Sorry. With the snowstorm and all, I haven’t really touched my cell phone.”

“Fine.” And he truly seemed not to care. Danny worried when she was ten minutes late getting home from school. “But I’m thinking, little girl, you need to come with me.”

She felt Johnny tense behind her at the man’s coldly stated words.

“Come with you?” she asked, stalling for time.

She had to get out of this and not let Johnny get hurt. He was dumb enough to do something heroic, and she had no doubts the man standing across from them would kill Johnny without even thinking about it. With Smitty it had been a mere show of strength, putting Johnny in his place among the Pack. But Walt Wilson would kill him, and it would be all her fault because she’d allowed the man into their lives.

Still not comfortable shifting for battle, her eyes strayed over to the block of kitchen knives.

He laughed. “Don’t even think about it, little girl.”

As panic began to set into her bones, the other set of kitchen doors opened and Smitty’s mom, whom everyone called “Miss Janie,” walked into the room.

“There you two are. And eating that bad food when dinner will be ready in another hour.” She took the apples by their sticks and tossed them into the garbage. “Now I want you two to get on upstairs and change into something nice.”

“Why are we doing this again?” Johnny asked, clearly relaxing now that the older She-wolf was in the room.

“Because, little man, this is for your momma and my son. Now move that skinny ass upstairs before I take a switch to ya.”

“It’s New York. We don’t have any switches.”

Miss Janie raised one eyebrow and Johnny held his hands up. “We’re going. We’re going.”

Johnny took her hand and dragged her toward the door. Kristan looked back once at Walt Wilson. Something told her she wouldn’t be seeing the man again.

The sad thing was... she felt relieved.

Janie Mae Lewis faced her very distant kin. “Well, well, well. Walt Wilson.”

“Miss Janie.”

“Your momma told me you were in town. She was very upset. Upset because my son was choosing that little wild dog over kin.”

“I just want to see my daughter.”

“Is that right?” Janie walked toward him and she watched Walt’s body tense at her approach. “That’s funny. ’Cause your momma also said you’re having some money problems and that Bobby Ray should help.”

Walt took several steps back at her approach, but he didn’t break eye contact. “I never asked for that, but I ain’t sure what it has to do with anything?”

“Everything if Kristan’s momma is right and you’re just using that little girl because you’re hoping her Pack will pay you to go away.”

“I’m doing no such—” The boy nearly jumped out of his skin as the swinging door opened behind her and Bubba strolled into the room. She didn’t even have to turn around to recognize his scent, the way his work boots dragged on the floor, the way he growled every time he looked at her ass. Lord, she did love that man.

“Why are you in here?” Janie demanded, hiding her smile.

“Heard there’s candy apples.”

“Bubba Smith! We are eatin’ in another hour.”

“So? Trust me, woman. I’ll eat again.”

Shaking her head in disgust, she looked back at Walt. “Do you believe him? Man has the worst sweet tooth. Now, where was I... oh, yes! The girl.”

“My daughter’s not your concern, Miss Janie.”

“Real funny how she’s your daughter now when not six months ago she was that lie some wild dog told on you.”

“A man can’t change his mind about getting to know his own blood?”

“Of course he can. But my cousin, Micah Lewis, did notice how your desire to meet Kristan seemed to coincide with this magazine coming out... What was it called again, Bubba?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Cables or something.”

“Not cables. Wired. That was it! Wired Magazine. They were buried inside, is my understanding, but you saw ’em fast enough, didn’t you? And then suddenly you wanted to know your kin.”

Walt’s nostrils flared the tiniest bit, and that mean streak his daddy always had came out with a vengeance. “Maybe you should mind your own, Miss Janie.”

“You brought it to my table. You did.”

“I wanted to warn you that your idiot boy was—”

She moved so fast, he never saw it coming. He underestimated her because of her age. Foolish boy.

Janie slapped her hand against Walt’s mouth, her fingers sliding in to grip hold of his bottom lip and jaw while staying away from his teeth. Then she shoved him back until she had him pinned to the wall. They both knew all she had to do was twist and she could either tear his bottom lip off or break his jaw, whichever she might be in the mood for this late afternoon.

“Do you really think Bubba Smith only keeps me around ’cause he likes fuckin’ me?”

“Although I do,” Bubba said while downing that caramel apple.

“I am the meanest woman you’ll ever meet, boy, so listen close. You leave. Tonight. You leave this town and you leave that little girl alone. She don’t like you much anyway from what I can reckon. You leave and you never look back.”