Sean said, “I no longer have a sex life because I live in this town. Feel free to ask me anything.”
Caleb narrowed his eyes at Sean. “Can you really shift just enough so that you have fangs?”
“Yes, but I don’t know why and not even Ted can figure it out.”
“Are they poisonous?”
“If I want them to be,” Sean said. “Can you really turn into anyone you’ve seen?”
From one blink to the next, there were two Seans sitting at the table.
“Yes.”
Sean just stared at his mirror image, even when it spoke with Caleb’s voice. “That is so weird.”
Caleb shifted back and cracked his jaw. “You’re telling me. Are we done with gossip?”
“Men don’t gossip,” Alex said. “We discuss.”
Ollie laughed, and Caleb shoved a file folder across to him. He flipped it open to see Tony Razio’s mug shot looking back at him.
“You know these guys?”
Ollie flipped through the pages. Photos of Tony Razio and three of the Red Rock Drifters stared up at him, along with a couple of men he didn’t recognize.
“Yeah,” he said.
“They got picked up at a bar fight last Saturday. They were dead twelve hours later.”
Shit. Well, that explained why Razio wasn’t returning his calls.
Ollie’s eyes darted to Caleb. “Other prisoners?”
“No one’s talking. Whoever did it knew the county jail well enough to avoid the cameras.”
“Guards?”
“They got nothing. They’re writing it off as a scuffle between gangs.”
“It probably was,” Alex said.
Ollie turned to him. “What do you know?”
“I know there are certain people who are going out of business—voluntarily—and others moving in. And the ones moving in are a lot more brutal than the ones going out.”
“Mexican cartel?” Caleb asked.
“The big boss is,” Alex said. “North of the border doesn’t sound quite as organized. Smuggling weapons. Moving people. Drugs, obviously.”
Sean leafed through the black-and-white mug shots. “These are the guys that Maggie set Joe up with for a poker game? I’m gonna kill her.”
“No,” Alex said, pulling out his phone. “This is the guy—I think—that played with Joe.” He handed the phone to Ollie first, and he peered at the small picture of a dark-haired man in a business suit.
“He looks like a lawyer,” Ollie said. The man even wore wire-rimmed glasses.
“He’s not. This, according to Cam, is the Lobo guy everyone seems to be avoiding. He’s very well funded. Very smart. And very cool.”
“What’s his real name?” Caleb asked.
“Don’t know. Neither does Cam.”
Caleb reached for the phone. “Is this someone San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office is going to know?”
“You can ask Dev the next time you see him,” Alex said. “But I’m guessing no. The FBI might know about the people backing him, but he sounds very new and very brutal.”
Sean plucked the phone from Caleb’s fingers and studied the photo. “Joe was nothing to him then. Why even bother?”
Caleb shrugged. “Ego? Maybe he just wanted his money back.”
“His name is Lobo,” Ollie said, staring at Alex. “Is that a coincidence?”
“You mean, could he be one of us?” Alex asked. “Not likely.”
“But not impossible.”
“I’ve never met any others,” Sean said quietly. He passed the phone back to Ollie. “Everywhere I’ve traveled. Europe and South America. Asia. Africa. The Pacific. I’ve never met any others like us. And I’ve looked.”
Caleb said, “Lobo is not an uncommon nickname in Spanish. Hell, don’t they call one of the Leon boys Lobo? The sophomore on the varsity team?”
Ollie ignored the question. He was staring at Alex’s phone again.
If Cameron Di Stefano was right, this was the bastard who’d killed Joe over a lost poker game. He couldn’t picture the cool, urbane man on the screen even holding a gun. But maybe others did that for him.
“Alex,” Ollie asked, “do the Di Stefanos have anyone in county right now?”
“Probably.”
Sean stood abruptly. “Hey, Caleb. I have to go take a piss, don’t you?”
The police chief stood too. “Hate it when that coffee catches up with you.”
The two men walked down the hall, and Ollie leaned toward Alex.
“Tell Cam to find out who killed Razio, and I’ll owe him a favor.”
“You think it’ll be the same ones who killed Joe?”
“Probably not. But it could be the people who broke into Allie’s place. That’s who Razio was looking for.”
“So they’ll be Lobo’s men.”
He nodded.
“I’ll ask,” Alex said. “I can’t guarantee.”
“Give me somewhere to start,” Ollie said. “I can take care of the rest.”
“Just take care of yourself,” Alex said. “I don’t even want to think about what it would do to Allie and the kids if something happened to you.”
It gave him pause. Ollie’s clan had always depended on him, but not like Allie and her kids. He might get his cousins out of trouble, but he didn’t tuck them into their beds at night.
With that realization, personal safety took on a whole new meaning.
“I’ll be careful.”
“What you’ll do is you’ll call me before you do anything. No lone-wolf moves, okay?”
He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do I look like a wolf?”
“No, you look like a stubborn-ass bear, which makes you even worse than a lone wolf. I know you’re pissed at me. Call me anyway.”
“Fine.”
“And Ollie? You hurt Allison Smith by being stupid brave, I’ll tear you limb from limb.”
“I’m sure you’d try, puppy.”
“I’m sure I have a whole pack behind me, and every single one of them adores that girl.”
“She doesn’t belong to your pack,” Ollie said quietly. “She belongs to me. Don’t forget it. I’ll let you know when your people are needed.”
ALLIE was panting and sated on his lap, her head resting over his heart while Ollie drifted, somewhat mindless, musing over how he’d mark her on his skin. It was no question Allie would be added somewhere, he just had to decide what. A fox? Most of his ink tended toward Native American designs, so he’d have to look for something that captured the brightness of her.
Whatever it ended up being, he wanted it right over his heart so her cheek would rest against it when they made love like this.
They’d managed to sneak in a few kisses throughout the night, but Ollie tugged her into his office after the bar closed, his need for her too overwhelming to resist. She’d come to him eager and laughing, kissing his face and chest despite her own exhaustion.
She owned him. Completely.
Allie was light and laughter. Even when his arms were around her, he still wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Because… she was everything he’d ever dreamed.
And she was also exhausted. He could feel her breathing change on his chest and knew she was minutes away from sleep.
“Darlin’?” He stroked her back. “Come on, Allie-girl. Need to get you home.”
“Hmm?” She sat up and Ollie forced his eyes away from her chest.
Her clothes were scattered around his office, so he stood and turned, setting her on the couch before he started to gather their things. She rubbed her eyes, looking more like a girl than the grown woman she was.
“What?” she mumbled. “Sorry, I should help.”
“You got up early and you didn’t get a nap this afternoon,” he said. “Relax.”
He had to figure out a way to get her more sleep. If he gave her a raise at the bar, she’d refuse it. He wanted her to stop working at her dad’s store—there were more t
han enough people moving back to town who could take her place—but he knew she needed the money.
If she found Joe’s stash, she’d have it. Maybe the idea of searching for it wasn’t so bad after all.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to ride herd on Alex to get him the name of whoever had killed Razio and his men. He was getting nervous about the kids’ safety. So was his pop. He’d upped the number of bears around his house while the kids were alone at night. Allie and the children might not realize it, but there were four bears patrolling the property every night, including one camped out in the tunnels between the house and the outbuildings.
They’d been dug during Prohibition when distilling whiskey was a crime, even in the remote California desert. Did they get raided? Only once. But bears were cautious by nature. Having escape routes was something they appreciated. They didn’t like having to fight their way out of a situation, even when they were almost guaranteed to win. No, avoiding the fight in the first place was far more desirable and safer for the cubs.
This needed to end, whether they found Joe’s money or not. The amount of attention being drawn to their small corner of the desert was making his bear itch.
“You’re so quiet,” she said. “Are you happy?”
He jerked up from gathering their clothes. “Am I what?”
“I can feel your frown from over here. I know you want me to stay in your room at night, but I just can’t, Ollie. It would feel too awkward—”
“Allie, I’m happy. I am the happiest I can ever remember being in my life.”
It was the simple truth, but he was glad it made her eyes sparkle like that. It was the way she used to look in high school and when the boys were little.
“I love you,” she said.
He felt his mouth curve up a little. “You sure about that?”
God, please let her be sure.
“Yep.”
“Good.” He gathered a bundle of their clothes in his arms and walked back to the couch.
“You missed my bra,” she said.
“I did?” He looked around.
“It’s on the light-up beer sign with the armadillo.”
“Huh.” He cocked his head. “I think it improves it.”
“Ollie!” She laughed. “You can’t keep my bra in your office.”
“Fine.” He grabbed it and tossed it to her. “Spoil my fun.”
They got dressed quickly, locked up, and walked to the car holding hands.
Yeah, holding hands. He felt like a kid and he didn’t care.
“So the sleeping thing—”
“Told you we were going at your pace,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“So we’re just going to keep fooling around on the couch in your office?”
“Clearly”—he opened her door—“you underestimate my creativity.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Nope.” He shut her in and took one last look at the bar before he walked to his side. There was something…
He tapped on Allie’s window and she rolled it down.
“What’s up?”
“You smell anything?” he murmured. Her nose was way better than his.
Allie leaned out the window and took a deep breath. “Nothing.” The wind shifted and she put a hand on his arm. “Wait…”
He stood completely still, not wanting to kick up dust or anything that might distract her.
“Cat,” she said quietly.
“What kind?” He heard a faint rustling in the bushes.
She shook her head. “Gone now.”
Ollie walked back to his side of the Bronco while she rolled her window up.
“Who would be hanging out at the Cave like that? Hiding in the bushes?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. How old? Could you tell?”
A juvenile might worry about being caught out late and try to avoid detection by shifting. God knows he had when he’d been young. Most teenagers in the Springs spent half their nights in natural form.
“Didn’t smell like a kid,” Allie said. “Didn’t smell like anyone familiar. It was just for a second though, so—”
“I’ll ask Ted tomorrow. Or Alex. He keeps track of who’s moving in and out of town better than anyone.”
She must have heard the irritation in his voice, because her mouth pursed in disapproval. “When are you going to forgive him? You guys have been best friends your whole lives.”
“Forgive him for what? Being friends with criminals? That’d be the pot calling the kettle black.”
“For building the resort.”
He bit his tongue and started the truck. Then he backed out slowly, thinking about her question.
“You guys haven’t been the same since he announced the plans.”
“We haven’t been the same since he moved to LA.”
“But you understood that. You don’t understand the resort.”
He said nothing. He knew her dad’s store was thriving with all the new people moving back into town. And it wasn’t as if his own bar hadn’t benefitted.
“I didn’t like the idea,” she said. “Even though it probably would have meant Joe could have a steady job again.”
“You were worried about the kids.”
“Yep.”
It was exactly what he worried about.
Cambio Springs was special. It was the only place where their odd tribe could be who and what they were without fear. He grew up cautious around outsiders, but within the town limits? Life was free. Nobody had suspicions because everyone knew their secrets. It was a safe place. The only safe place.
“I want your kids—our kids if we ever have them—to be able to grow up the way we did. Running around without having to worry. Playing games like Kevin and Low did the other night. Just free to be themselves, you know?”
She fell completely silent.
“Allie?”
“We haven’t talked about kids,” she said under her breath.
His heart twisted a little because yeah, he wanted kids with her. But she had four, and he knew she probably felt overwhelmed by even the idea of more kids. She was young enough, but how could he ask her to carry another baby? She was probably sick of diapers and car seats and sleepless nights.
“Do you want kids?” she asked.
He figured it was just better to be honest from the get-go. “Yeah. But it’s up to you.”
She leaned her head against the window. “Ollie, you can’t—”
“You asked. I answered. It’s not a deal-breaker for me. You have four great kids that I love. But yeah, I’ve got a big house and I love you, so I’d have more if you wanted to.”
More silence.
“If you wanted, Allie.” He reached for her hand. “I’m not going to put pressure on you. That would be a shit thing to do.”
“Can we talk about this later?”
He squeezed her hand. “Your pace, remember?”
“Where do you think Joe hid that money?”
Since he was running on an honest streak, he just kept going. “Out in the desert somewhere only he was going to find it.”
He expected her to protest or argue, but she didn’t.
“I don’t think he did,” she said softly.
“Why?”
“Because he texted Maggie and ran. He knew someone was after him.”
“And?”
“If there was anything that man was good at, it was knowing his own faults. Sometimes that’s all he focused on.”
Ollie said nothing. In his opinion, Joe’s faults had outrun his virtues by a mile.
“But if he knew someone was after him, he’d know his chances. And it seems to me like he would have known his chances weren’t good. Old Quinn said he wanted to leave money for the kids. I think he would have tried to do that. If he knew he wasn’t going to make it, he would want to the kids to get that cash.”
“I don’t understand why he just didn’t shift and run. He could have been halfway across t
he country if he’d done that. Come back later when things were cooled down.”
“He probably didn’t even think of that.”
“How’s that?”
She was silent for a little while. “He really didn’t like being a coyote. He only shifted when he had to. If he’d been able to avoid it, he’d never have changed.”
The thought staggered him. Ollie loved being a bear. Wearing that skin was as natural as breathing, and he knew Allie felt the same way about being a fox.
“So,” she continued, “if he knew he wasn’t going to outrun them, if he knew they’d find him, he’d put it someplace I’d find it.”
“He didn’t think to drop you a note?”
She shrugged. “Maybe he couldn’t. Or just didn’t want to.”
Ollie pulled up to the dark house and scanned the yard before he exited the vehicle. “You’re the one who was married to him, darlin’. You’d know way better than me.”
No sign of anything out of the ordinary. Elijah was parked on the porch in human skin. Paul he could see loping toward the barn, probably ready to shift back and head home. His cousin Sandra rose to standing in the distance, a faint furry outline in the waxing moon. That meant that Dani was probably exploring the tunnels while her older cousins covered the surface.
“I’m gonna look at his parents’ old place tomorrow with Jena.”
He paused before he opened his door. “As long as you don’t go anywhere on your own, I’m okay with it. But I don’t want anyone looking for that stash by themselves. Not Sean. Not you or Jena. No one.” But especially not you.
“I get it,” she said. “I heard. We’ll be smart.”
“I’m probably going to Indio tomorrow.” He had a couple of other strings he could tug. “Do you need anything?”
“You.” She leaned over and kissed him sweetly before he got out of the truck. “Home safe at the end of the day.”
“You got it.”
“I’m serious.”
He watched her face. The exhaustion wasn’t able to mask the quiet happiness and growing contentment he saw there.
Allie was happy, but it was a fragile thing. He knew that if her trust in it broke, she might never be the same. He’d promised to make life sweet for her again and was startled to realize that part of that promise meant his own self-preservation.
“I’ll be safe,” he said. “I promise.”