The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) (15 page)

“Most certainly not. Your grandparents left most everything to you. After your older brother died and your parents moved away with you, Nelson went down a bad path. Your grandparents loved him, but they saw how things were going and figured if they wanted to make sure you got what they hoped for, they’d best not put him in charge of it. They didn’t leave him without anything. They set up a fund for him that should have carried him through most of his life if he’d been careful. The house, the properties, and the rest were tied up for you. As far as I can tell, Nelson blew through what they left him. He tried to contest the will in court and lost.”

Paul leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Even though they left so much for you, I was given strict instructions not to seek you out. Your grandparents loved your mother dearly, and you just as much. They didn’t want to cause pain and only wanted you to come here if it was on your terms. I must say, I’m relieved you finally came to Painter. If there’s anything I can do, just let me know. I have all the paperwork here so you can access your accounts. As for the house and the property, we have our work cut out for us. I had eviction papers served on Nelson years ago, but he’s been playing games. I know he’s living there, but he manages to make it look as if it’s abandoned. With you here now, I’m thinking we’ll be able to get him out of there for good.”

Daniel shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t want him out of there, but I’m not in a rush. We can take it slow. He was pretty cold to me when I stopped by and now I understand why. He lied to me about the house too. Said it was deeded to me after he passed away.”

Paul shook his head slowly. “It’s sad to see the direction he’s taken. It broke your grandparents’ hearts.” Paul stood up and walked over to his desk. He tugged a stack of files out of his desk and brought them to the table. As he began flipping through them and pulling out documents, Daniel spoke up.

“Right now, I’m hoping to get your back up on the property. I’ll try to keep it brief, but the police asked for my help with an investigation involving Nelson.”

Paul’s sharp brown eyes swung over to Daniel. “Fill me in.”

“Long story short, I was with some friends and we stumbled across an old cabin in the woods where they thought some shifter smugglers have been meeting. I’m sure you’ve heard about the smuggling network…”

“Impossible not to hear about it. It’s a damn shame and a tragedy for Painter,” Paul added.

“Anyway, I was pretty sure I saw Nelson out there. On the way back, two shifters came after us. We handled it and brought them into the police station. When I told the police I thought I saw Nelson there, they told me they’ve suspected he was involved for a while. Officer Shaw called me today and asked if I minded helping them out. They’re hoping I can rattle Nelson by pushing the issue on the house. I figured I’d better make sure I had the legal pieces in place.”

Paul leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. “It doesn’t surprise me at all to hear Nelson’s involved with the smuggling. Since he blew through what money your grandparents left him, I’ve been curious to know how he’s been getting by. Your grandparents would roll over in their graves if they knew about this. They’d be horrified to know he’s putting shifters at risk like that.” Paul paused and shook his head slowly. “Anyway, you needn’t worry about the legal issues. The deed on the property is rock solid. Nelson already knows that, which is why he works so hard to make it look like he’s not living there. The records are filed at the local courthouse, and I have copies of everything. Rather than you lugging them around, simply refer Nelson to me if he tries to push the issue. He won’t. The police are correct. It will rattle him to have you around and actually know what’s going on.” Paul smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m not a young man, you know. I wasn’t so sure I’d be around if you ever showed up. I can’t tell you how good it is to see you and to know you turned out to be the man your grandparents hoped. Your mother was an absolute dear, and your father was a good man. I understood why they left Painter, but they were missed dearly.”

Daniel chest tightened, a wave of emotion washing through him. He’d come to terms with the loss of his parents, but he still missed them. It was nice to know they’d been missed by the friends and family they left behind in Painter. He cleared his throat. “I know the feelings were mutual. My mother never stopped talking about how much she missed Painter, which is one of the reasons I finally came here.”

“It’s good to have you here,” Paul said firmly. He paused, his eyes considering. “You might want to know Lila Ashworth has her heart about set on you sweeping her daughter off her feet. Lila’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Daniel shrugged. If he had his way, Lila would get her wish. “Good to know Lila and I agree. I can’t say for certain if I’ve succeeded at sweeping Sophia off her feet, but I sure as hell aim to try.”

Paul chuckled. “Well then, I suppose you don’t need to worry about Lila pressuring you then, seeing as you two seem to be in agreement.”

***

Daniel walked up the steps of his grandparents’ old home and knocked on the door. With the understanding of why the home appeared vacant outside and in, he felt a twinge of annoyance with Nelson. He supposed he should feel anger, but it was such a childish thing to do. Instead of being smart enough to live reasonably on the money left to him by his parents, Nelson had blown through it in short order and now had to slink about in their old home to avoid being formally evicted.

While he waited for Nelson to answer the door, he glanced around at the overgrown yard. Everything was unkempt. He recalled his mother talking about how much his grandmother loved gardening. While Daniel could dredge up some empathy for Nelson after David’s death blew a hole through their family, he couldn’t appreciate Nelson’s choice to try to weasel his way into living illegally on the old property and purposefully letting it go in an effort to make it look as if he didn’t live there.

Just when Daniel lifted his hand to knock on the door again, the door swung open. Nelson stood there, his expression guarded. Daniel had enough sense to know Nelson may have discovered he’d been behind the two shifters who’d been arrested. He and Roger had reviewed his approach. Daniel needed to push Nelson to get the hell off his grandparents’ property. The police believed the old cabin Nelson and the other shifters had been seen was on another piece of property that had been deeded to Daniel. Between talking with the police and Paul, Daniel had learned his grandparents’ logging business had owned massive tracts of land in and around Painter, in addition to areas all over the West. They’d sold off significant portions of their land holdings before they passed away, but several large holdings had been put in the trust for Daniel. The police were hoping if Daniel forced the issue regarding his grandparents’ home, it would push Nelson out to some of the other areas they guessed he was using as meeting points for smuggling operations. Without the main home in Painter to use, Nelson would have more difficulty keeping his whereabouts hidden.

Daniel didn’t have to work to dredge up frustration toward Nelson. He eyed Nelson for a long moment and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. “Thought you might want to know I’ve met with Paul Thornton.”

Nelson’s faded blue eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened. “I see. Couldn’t trust me to ask, so you went straight to him.”

“You lied about the property,” Daniel said, getting right to the point.

Nelson shrugged. “Look, the only time your parents bothered to show up in Painter was to pay their respects at my parents’ funerals. I was left here to do everything for my parents after your family bolted.” The resentment in his tone was mind-boggling. It was as if he couldn’t even recognize it was Daniel’s parents whose life had been blown apart by the tragic loss of their young son. Daniel didn’t doubt it was hard on Nelson and on his grandparents, but none of that softened the crushing blow to his family.

Daniel kept his anger leashed. He needed to stay calm. “No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t make it okay you’ve been lying and taking something that isn’t yours. According to Paul, you were left with plenty of money, which apparently you might as well have set on fire for all the good it did you. I came by to let you know I’m aware this property is mine, along with every other piece of property that wasn’t sold off. I expect you to be out of here by the end of the week.”

Nelson straightened, his expression almost insolent. “You think you can just stroll into Painter after being gone all these years and tell me to get the hell off of my parents’ property?” His voice rose with each word, his eyes darkening with anger.

Nelson’s anger only strengthened Daniel’s resolve. That Nelson believed he was entitled to be angry in this scenario simply illuminated his selfishness and greed. “If that’s how you see it, fine. The way I see it, you screwed up your own chances and you’ve been hoping I’d never show up. I’m here now, and I expect you gone by the end of the week.”

At that, Daniel pushed away from the door and started to walk down the porch steps. Nelson’s next words sent a hot arc of anger flashing through him. “I’ll be gone, but don’t think this is the last you’ll see of me. You might want to keep an eye on your new girlfriend.”

Daniel paused mid-step and turned on his heels to look back at Nelson. “Don’t bring her into this. If you do, you’ll regret it,” he said. It took most of his discipline to keep from shifting and tearing Nelson to pieces. His cat simmered under his skin, but he forced himself to hold back.

Nelson sneered at him. “I might be getting up there in years, but I’m no kitten. Watch your back.” He slammed the door shut.

Daniel remained still for a moment, anger coursing through him in waves. He listened to Nelson’s footsteps retreating away from the door, echoing on the hardwood floors in the mostly empty farmhouse. He took a deep breath and slowly descended the stairs. He immediately drove toward downtown, heading to Mile High Grounds to talk to Sophia.

Chapter 14

“Ouch!” Sophia yanked her hand away from the side of the espresso machine. They were deep into the morning rush, and she’d carelessly reached to grab a stack of cups and put her hand right under the steamer.

Tommy whipped his head to the side to glance at her. “You okay?”

She cradled her wrist and looked down. An angry slash of red skin glared back at her, instantly throbbing from the burn. “I’m okay. Give me a few though. I need to run this under some cold water.”

“You need anything? I can have Josie handle everything for a few minutes,” Tommy said, his eyes concerned. His hands kept moving, pulling coffee shots on autopilot.

Sophia shook her head. The strip of skin that had landed under the steam was stinging and burning, but she’d be okay. “Nah. I’m fine. Just give me a few minutes.”

She pushed through the half door that led to a small back room. The room contained shelving piled high with bags of coffee beans, baking supplies, and everything else she needed to run Mile High Grounds. A doublewide stainless steel sink sat against a side wall. She stepped to the sink and ran the cool water over her wrist. The water soothed the burn. She sighed as the pain began to ease. With her free hand, she reached into the freezer beside the sink and grabbed some ice. Turning the water off, she wrapped the ice in a clean towel and held it over the burn.

Leaning her hips against the sink, she listened to the hum of customers out front. She heard the bell chime at the door and footsteps making their way to the counter and then behind it. Just when she was wondering who it was, she heard the distinct sound of Daniel’s voice.

“Is Sophia here?”

“She’s right through there. Make sure she’s taking care of the burn she just got,” Tommy replied.

The half door swung open, and Daniel stepped through. His eyes swept over her, landing on the towel she held over her wrist. In three quick strides, he was at her side, his hand cupping her elbow as he lifted the towel to check her wrist underneath. “Tommy said you got a burn. How’s it feel?”

She shrugged, a curl of warmth snaking through her at the concern in his voice. She was accustomed to taking care of herself. It was strangely comforting to have him so worried over such a small thing. She looked up into his navy eyes, and her pulse kicked up a notch. “It’s okay. A little hot, but it’s cooling. I wasn’t paying attention and stuck my hand right under the steamer.”

Daniel carefully placed the towel over the burn again. “Keep that there for a few more minutes. Do you have any bandages here?”

“I don’t need…”

He arched a brow. “It’s already swelling and probably going to blister. Better keep it covered just to be safe.”

She sighed. “Okay, okay. Fine.” She gestured to the far corner where a cabinet held the first aid supplies.

Daniel immediately went to the cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit. He returned to her side with ointment, a bandage and gauze. In short order, he gently spread burn ointment on her skin, carefully placed the bandage and loosely taped gauze over it. When he was finished, he leaned against the wall and slid his hands into his jean pockets. He wore his black leather jacket over a black t-shirt. All he had to do was exist, and he was so damn sexy he took her breath away.

“I’m guessing you’re still planning to work the rest of the day,” he said with a wry smile.

“Daniel, it’s minor. I’ll take the register and let Tommy and Josie take care of everything else.”

His eyes coasted over her. His expression was solemn. Worry coiled inside of her. “What’s going on?” she asked.

His shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. “You know how I mentioned the police asked for my help with Nelson?”

“Yeah. We just talked about it last night. What happened?”

“For the most part, everything went as I would have expected. Nelson got cranky about me calling his bluff on the property. I just came from there. He, uh, he told me to keep an eye on you.”

Sophia stepped to stand in front of Daniel. “Don’t let him get to you. He can’t hurt me. Okay?”

Daniel slid his hands down her shoulders and tugged her into his embrace. He found it nearly impossible to be rational when it came to Sophia’s safety. “I know you can take care of yourself, but Nelson plays dirty. I don’t trust him, and I just want you to be careful.”