Wolf with Benefits (28 page)

Realizing she was buried in the man up to her cuticles, Toni automatically ripped her claws out.

Ricky yelped, his body jerking from the pain. Cringing, Toni leaned back. “Oh, God. Ricky. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all right.” He kissed her neck, apparently ignoring the sweat there, and added, “I had an uncle who always said if a She-predator don’t rip up some part of your body during sex, you ain’t doin’ your job right.”

Disgusted
and
amused, Toni shook her head and begged, “Please tell me that discussion didn’t take place until you were at least eighteen.”

“More like sixteen. But don’t worry. My momma didn’t let him in the house after that until Reece was eighteen. And she still don’t speak to the man whenever he comes for Thanksgiving dinner.”

Ricky, still buried inside her, kissed her collarbone, her throat, her chin. “So, darlin’ . . . feelin’ any better?”

Smiling, Toni wrapped her arms around Ricky’s neck and admitted, “Better . . . but still a little tense.”

“Well, we can’t have that.” Ricky stretched her out on the bed, grinned down at her. “Not if you’re going to deal with those nasty ol’ bears and all.”

Toni grinned back. “That’s my feeling
exactly
.”

 

Ronnie Lee was eating popcorn and relaxing on her couch next to Shaw.

She had to admit, the lion took mighty good care of her. He always had, but he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her pregnancy. And was more than happy to sit on their couch, watching the “lady network” as he liked to call it. They both had a thing for those really bad movies where some woman finds out her millionaire husband has been sleeping with her best friend and babysitter before discovering that the gardener is a serial killer and she’s really in love with the humble but no-nonsense detective who saves her at the last minute.

They also enjoyed the movies based on true stories. Their all-time favorite was still the one about Betty Broderick. It didn’t matter how many times they’d seen it, they never missed a chance to watch it again. And it was on tonight.

So they felt much annoyance when Reece Lee came busting into their home at all hours—actually ten p.m.—and went through the boxes she had stored in her closet. Her momma had sent them to her from her room after one of their fights. The note that accompanied those boxes had said it all: “Here’s your stuff.”

Shaw let out a big sigh, his whole body going rigid when he saw her idiot brother opening closet doors and pulling out all those boxes she’d unceremoniously shoved away.

“Reece Lee Reed, what the holy hell are you doing?” Ronnie demanded.

“Don’t mind me. Just looking for something.” He began pulling the top off the boxes and digging through them like a rabid chipmunk.

“The more you bother me, the longer this will take.”

“Maybe if you told me what you were looking for . . .”

“I doubt you remember it, but you always had one.”

Ronnie and Shaw looked at each other, then shook their heads. Of her three brothers, Reece was definitely the most . . . difficult.

Ronnie offered Shaw more popcorn, and when he began to eat again, she felt better. She really only worried when the man stopped eating. Then hell was about to break loose.

After thirty minutes or so of her brother digging away, Ronnie asked, “Any word from Ricky?”

“He’s still in Russia. Not sure when he’ll be back. Apparently the bears aren’t playing nice.”

“They never will,” Shaw mumbled around a mouthful of popcorn.

“Why do you say that?” Ronnie asked.

“Russian bears are notoriously difficult to negotiate with. I still don’t have a hotel in that country because Russian bears are so damn difficult.”

“Well, I hope my brother’s being safe.”

Reece shrugged, now going through a box of old children’s books. “He always is. You’d only have to worry if it was me going over there.”

At least Reece was self-aware of his limitations.

“Hey,” Ronnie asked, “who the hell was that girl you were talking to today?”

“You’ll have to be much more specific than that.”

“The one who cut the tar out of that bitch Laura Jane.”

“Someone cut up Laura Jane?” Shaw asked, grinning.

“I couldn’t do it, of course,” Ronnie reminded him. “I am part of the same Pack and she hasn’t done anything to me. But this girl went after her with a blade and her claws. It may take her, like, two whole
days
before her wounds heal.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Reece said. “I can’t figure out what she is.”

Ronnie blinked. “What she is?”

“Yeah. She won’t tell me. It’s driving me nuts!”

“Oh, Lord, Reece. You’re not interested in this one, are you?”

“Nah. She’s way too terrifying. I’ve seen Laura Jane in a fight and that small female didn’t even give that She-wolf a chance to be her dishonorable fighting self. She beat Laura Jane to being dishonorable. I can’t date anyone like that. But I do enjoy that in a friend. She’ll make a good friend.”

“You’re such an odd boy.”

“Here it is!” Reece exclaimed, holding up a very old book.

“What is that?”

“Don’t you remember? This is
The Infamous Book of Smells.
”

Shaw’s head snapped around. “The what?”

Surprised, the siblings looked at the lion.

“You never had
The Infamous Book of Smells
?” Reece asked.

“Was I supposed to?”

“How were you able to tell the difference between grizzlies and black bears?” Ronnie wanted to know. “Or mountain lions, cheetahs, and leopards?”

“I learned as I went. Isn’t that how you guys did it?”

“Eventually, but every Pack pup starts out with—”

“Exactly.”

“Which is what exactly?”

Reece brought the book over to the table. “It’s scratch and sniff for kids. With the scent of different breeds and species. I learned so much before I even cut my first fangs.”

“Yeah, but that’s an old copy,” Ronnie reminded him.

“You think the scents have faded?”

“No. But it’s not the most updated.”

“I know. That’s what I want.”

Sitting on the chair closest to Shaw, Reece began on the first page and went through each. Scratching and sniffing. Scratching and sniffing.

Fascinated, Ronnie watched her brother until he suddenly stopped at a page. Scratched. Sniffed. Scratched. Sniffed. Studied the page. Scratched. Sniffed.

“This is it. This is the one.” He looked at the page again, his brow pulling down.

“What is she, Reece?”

He looked up at her, still frowning.

“Show me,” she pushed, now completely curious. She had to know!

With a shrug, Reece turned the book around and held it up the way their pre-school teacher used to when she would read a page, then show the class the accompanying picture.

Ronnie’s mouth dropped open before she demanded, “Good Lord, Reece Lee Reed!
This
is the woman you want to be friends with?”

“Now more than ever!”

Shaw threw up his hands and Ronnie just sighed. Her brother . . . some days . . . honestly, some
days
.

T
oni had just rolled onto her back, her entire body taking a long, luxurious stretch when there was a knock at Ricky’s door and it opened. Without warning.

She yelped and pulled herself into a ball. Ricky immediately stretched his body over hers, blocking her from Vic Barinov’s sight.

“Oh. Sorry. Was I interrupting?”

“Yes!” Ricky yelped. “You were.”

“Sorry. But you guys do have to get ready if we’re going to get to your meeting with the—”

“Meeting?” Toni scoffed.

Now, after a night of free-running through the beautiful Siberian wilderness and getting wonderfully tossed around the bedroom by Ricky Lee Reed, Toni’s sense of panic was no longer clouding her mind. Instead, she just felt annoyance at the bears wasting her damn time.

“They’re not going to meet with me. They have no intention of negotiating with me. We might as well just head the hell home rather than waste another damn day on this bullshit.”

Barinov shrugged. “Of course. I’ll get the car ready and let the hotel know we’re checking out.”

Ricky grabbed the sheet and pulled it up so it covered Toni all the way to her neck. Then he sat up, his body still blocking her, and said, “Wait.”

His hand on the doorknob, Barinov looked back at them.

“Do you know what’s going on with these bears?” he asked.

Toni didn’t know why Ricky was asking Barinov about anything. Other than ensure they arrived on time and that Toni was safe, he didn’t seem too involved in any of this drama.

“You know”—Barinov began—“I really shouldn’t get involved.”

Ricky reached down and grabbed his jeans from the floor. He pulled out his cell phone and speed-dialed a number. He put on the speaker and for a few seconds they sat around silently listening to the phone ring.

“Yep?” a voice answered from the other end, and Barinov immediately rolled his eyes, momentarily reminding her of Kyle after he’d been caught tormenting Oriana about her non-existent weight problem.

“Hey, Dee,” Ricky said into the phone. “How ya doin’?”

“Fine.” There was a pause, then Dee asked, “You back in New York?”

“Nope. These Russian bears are being real difficult.”

“Mhmm. Never liked them Russian bears.”

“We haven’t mentioned you,” Ricky told her. “I don’t think they would have fond memories of you or your daddy.”

“Heh.”

“Anyway,” Ricky went on, “I’m not sure what to do. Any suggestions?”

“Isn’t Barinov there?”

Ricky looked up at the hybrid. “Yeah. He’s standing right here. But he said he shouldn’t get involved.”

There was a long sigh from the other end of that phone. “Take me off speaker,” Dee ordered, “and hand Barinov the damn phone.”

Ricky did just that and after baring a rather long fang, Barinov put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Dee—Well . . . yeah, I . . . no need to get nasty, Smith. Yeah. Fine. Whatever.” Barinov disconnected the call and tossed the phone back to Ricky.

“You’re a prick,” the hybrid snarled.

“I’m a Reed. We were never taught to play nice with others.”

Barinov stepped away from the door and looked over Ricky’s shoulder to focus on Toni. “You were negotiating with the bears as soon as you stepped out of the car the first day,” he abruptly told her.

Startled by that response, Toni sat a little taller, holding the sheet to her chest. “Wait a minute . . . what?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Did I look like I knew?”

“It was hard to tell with the whole separation anxiety thing.” Then Barinov focused on Ricky and smirked.

“Oh, my God,” Ricky muttered, placing his phone on the end table. “He’s never going to let that go.”

“Let me ask you”—Barinov stepped closer to the bed—“did you research negotiation techniques before you came here, Toni?”

“Of course.”

“Did you research negotiating with Russians?”

“No. But I’ve negotiated with Russians before.”

“About your family?”

“Yes.”

“The powerful music family that everyone kind of loves?”

“As long as you don’t know ’em personally,” Ricky tossed in.

Toni shoved Ricky’s shoulder and answered Barinov at the same time, “Yes.”

“Then that is completely different from negotiating a business deal about hockey.”

“Why is that different?”

“Your family is a bunch of American artists that the Russians—who love music like they love air—are going to treat differently during negotiations. Especially if they’re dealing with a family member. But hockey is a much-beloved sport
and
a very important Russian
business
. Especially to the Siberian bears.”

“So the delay . . . that’s all a—”

“Negotiation tactic.” Barinov shrugged. “I really thought you knew.”

“No. That’s what was making me crazy. I didn’t understand why they weren’t meeting with me. When I’ve helped negotiate deals for my brother and sister, I was
always
treated wonderfully. I guess I expected the same thing this time.”

“You could have said something, Vic,” Ricky told him.

“People don’t hire me for my opinion, Reed. You know that.”

“I’m not people,” Toni said. “I’m desperate. I
need
your opinion. I have to get home before my entire family is decimated by their insanity. And I have to point out . . . that’s a real short trip for them.”

“You gonna help us, hoss?” Ricky asked.

“I’m not used to getting involved.”

Toni moved close behind Ricky, laid her chin on his shoulder, smiled sweetly. “Please?” she begged. “For me?”

“You don’t even like me,” Barinov accused.

“I could learn to like you . . . if you help me.”

He chuckled. “Yeah. All right.”

Toni gave a happy yip, but Barinov barked back and said, “Do not make that noise around me. It makes me want to go outside and tear the bark off trees.”

“So what’s the first thing we should do?” Ricky asked.

“First . . . we cancel today.”

“Cancel?”

“If they want to play hardball . . . so will you. Besides, we have to meet someone.”

“Someone who can also help?” Toni asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

“Yep. Someone who can also help.”

She yipped again and now both males barked, “Toni!”

“Sorry. Sorry. Habit.”

 

It was late when Livy worked her way through an open window in the kitchen.

Yes. She had keys. Toni always gave her keys to whatever home or hotel suite she and her family were staying at when Livy was around. And if Toni didn’t give the keys to her, because they were having one of their ridiculous arguments, then Toni’s parents gave Livy the keys. Paul and Jackie loved Livy. She didn’t know why, though. Most shifters, without even knowing what Livy was, didn’t like her, but especially jackals. In the wild, full-blood jackals and her kind went at it like dogs and cats.

Then again, nothing stopped their kind from fighting anyone off. That’s what they did. That’s what Livy’s ancestors, mostly witches and healers, liked about the animal. How vicious and fearless it was. So while a lot of others were learning to shift into giant, apex predators, her people were becoming small and deadly.

When Livy was a little girl, she didn’t understand how come she wouldn’t be shifting into a cool animal like the other shifter kids her parents knew. But now that she was an adult . . . she loved what she was. Adored it. Just like she adored her best friend.

Toni was an unusual girl. She didn’t think she was. She saw herself as average. And, compared to the rest of the Jean-Louis Parker brood, it wasn’t surprising she felt that way. Yet Toni was definitely unique. Naturally maternal. Naturally kind. And constantly on Livy’s ass.

That’s when Livy realized that she’d been accepted as family by Toni when the woman—a girl at the time—began to manage Livy’s career. Or, at the very least, manage Livy’s agent, while attempting to get her to live a certain way. It drove Toni nuts that Livy could and often did live anywhere she had to. She had no problem taking over someone’s house for a couple of days when she saw them leave with some luggage. She made sure not to destroy anything and to replace anything she may have used. True, Livy could afford her own place and she had one in Washington, but she really liked living in other people’s space. It was always so fascinating. You never knew what you’d learn from complete strangers.

Livy opened the refrigerator and reached for a bottle of orange juice.

“Hi!”

Livy spun and hissed, baring her mouthful of fangs.

The wolfdog jumped back, her hands raised to protect her face. “Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

Actually . . . she hadn’t startled Livy. But the wolfdog was just so damn perky. It was irritating. Really, really irritating.

“Still here?” Livy asked, being bitchy.

The wolfdog glanced down at herself. “I think so . . . right?”

Letting out a sigh, Livy turned back to the refrigerator and took out the orange juice. She opened the bottle and was about to start drinking from it when the wolfdog held out a glass for her.

“What’s that?” Livy asked.

“Something for you to pour your juice into. So that you don’t have to drink right out of the bottle.”

Gazing at the wolfdog, Livy put the bottle to her lips and drank. For a real long time.

The wolfdog’s eyes narrowed and a little spot on her cheek twitched.

When Livy was done, she smacked her lips—loudly.

“That was good.” Livy sighed. Then she held the bottle out to the wolfdog. “Want some?”

“No, thank you.”

“You sure?” Livy pushed, shoving the offending bottle with her saliva all over the rim closer. “It’s really good. No pulp!”

“No. Really. I’m fine.”

Shrugging, Livy screwed the top back on and put the juice back in the refrigerator.

“You’re just going to leave it in there?”

Livy closed the refrigerator door. “Yes! It wouldn’t be right not to share, now would it?”

“But . . .”

Livy stepped close. “But . . . what?”

When the wolfdog didn’t say anything, Livy started off toward the swinging door.

“But you slobbered all over it!”
the wolfdog yelled before Livy could make it through that door.

Slowly, Livy faced the canine. “You know what, Blayne?” Livy said mildly. “You’re absolutely right. I did.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “And it felt
good
.”

The wolfdog gasped, her mouth dropping open, but before she could say anything else, Livy walked out.

Halfway down the hall, she passed Coop. “Hey,” Livy said, grabbing his arm. “Do me a favor.”

“Sure.”

“If you’re going to the kitchen, make sure to drink out of the orange juice bottle that’s right in the front. The one with no pulp.”

“You’re the only one who drinks the one with no pulp. The rest of us like pulp.”

“I know. Just trust me on this.”

Coop shook his head. “You’re messing with Blayne again, aren’t you?”

“Well, your sister’s not here to do it, so I’m covering.” She squeezed his forearm. “That’s what friends do for each other, Coop.”

“Torment the innocent?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

 

They drove back to the territory that Ricky had taken Toni to the night before where they’d run for hours. Honestly, the land was even more beautiful in the day. So lush. And Ricky actually would love to come back in the dead of winter. To see all this covered in ice and snow. It must be amazing. Especially Lake Baikal itself.

Vic took them past the wooded area they’d run through and down a road until they reached a village. He pulled up in front of a small house with a pack of children running around.

“Where are we?”

“This is the home of Genka Kuznetsov.”

“Wait.” Ricky scratched his head. “Kuznetsov?”

“What’s wrong?”

Toni leaned forward. “Are they related to the Kuznetsov Pack in New York?”

“Do not mention the New York Kuznetsov Pack or your association with them,” Vic warned.

“Why not?”

“Sabina Kuznetsov is the daughter of Anton Kuznetsov. Her Pack of orphaned wild dogs took Sabina’s last name because they thought it sounded cooler than Jessica Ward’s last name, which in New York is true. Unfortunately, the reason Sabina ended up in New York was that her father was pushed out of the Pack by Genka who, to this day, loathes her brother with the fire of a thousand suns.”

“That’s a lot of heat,” Ricky noted.

“Exactly.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t be here.”

“You need information. And that’s what the Kuznetsovs trade in. Information.”

“Okay.”

Vic looked between them. “You two ready?”

“Yep.”

They got out of the car, and adult wild dogs seemed to appear from everywhere. Surrounding the house and especially the kids, protecting them.

An older She-dog walked out of the house and stood on her small stoop. She had hair that was filled with a riot of colors like gold, brown, red, and white, but mostly blond. Lots of blond. “Why are you here, Victor Barinov?”

“I’ve brought friends for you, Genka. They need your help.”

The wild dog lifted her head, sniffed the air. “At least this time they’re canines. Unlike you.”

“I’m not canine, nor am I empty handed.” He lifted both his arms. In one hand he held two bottles of very expensive vodka. In the other, he had a basket filled with good French and Italian cheeses and water crackers from England.

That’s when the wild dogs no longer looked suspicious but instead raised their own arms in greeting, calling out Vic’s name. Genka opened her front door. “Come friends, come. Let’s sit inside and enjoy this wonderful bounty our friend Barinov brings us!”