Aedan: Harrison Ambush – Erotic Tiger Shapeshifter Romance (15 page)

The phone was ringing as soon as they entered the house. Winnie answered it, then handed the phone to Aedan. Nikki left him to it, hearing someone saying they were a reporter before she left the room. She was surprised to find Andi sitting on the couch waiting for her.

“I wasn’t here long if you’re worried about that. Winnie, who I love by the way, said it would be all right.” She told the woman of course it was all right. “I have a favor to ask you. Not a big one, and if you say no, that’ll be okay too. I’m looking for a potter.”

“A potter?” Nikki sat down and Rose came in with a try of scones and tea for the two of them. When she left them, Nikki smiled at Andi, who looked nervous. “I don’t bite, you know. And I’d love to help you find this person. Who is it?”

“I know that, but I’m not terribly good around people. It’s not you. But this potter, his name is Rickson. I’ve been able to find out that he’s a recluse and that he’s been a potter for over sixty years. His work is very famous.” Andi sat beside her and showed her pictures on her phone. “Mac collects his work. Anyway, I want to find him to see if I can get him to do something for Mac for Christmas. I know it’s not even Thanksgiving, but it’s in a few days and from my research, I’m understanding that it takes time to throw a piece then get it fired and glazed.”

“Where have you looked so far?” Andi told her that all she could find out was that he lived in the Smokey Mountains area someplace, and that at one time he had a shop, but no more. “What was the name of his shop, and do you know his first name?”

“It was just Rickson on the shop name. Rickson Pottery. As for his first name, I’m having trouble with that too. The initial looks like a
D
sometimes, and at other times like it’s a
B,
so I’m not really sure.” Nikki couldn’t tell either. “I’ve been looking on the Internet, and I’ve even called a few dealers, and the only thing they can tell me is to contact his publicist. And that person, whoever it is, said that she’d try. Try what, I have no idea, but that’s all I can get out of her. And there isn’t a phone number either, just an email address.”

“I’ll do my best for you. Grandda might know someone that can help, I’ll ask him now.” Nikki messaged her grandda and asked him. Smiling when she was done, she asked about the baby. “You look so beautiful, glowing even. I know that you’re not very far along, but you must be getting excited.”

“I am. And so is Mac. He keeps telling me to take it easy, but I feel so good all the time. And Mom is knitting the cutest things for it.” Nikki tried to think what it would be like to carry a baby, and decided that it might be something she’d like to do someday, just not right away. “You and Aedan, you’re going to be moving soon, I guess.”

“No, we’re going to stay here. The house is paid for by the state and all, so we have plans for it, but we want to stay here, in our own home.” Andi looked relieved. “What would you do?”

“Just what you guys are doing. I love the house we have and all the land around it. And if we want to redo something, we can without asking for permission. I’m to understand that that is something that you’d have to deal with.”

“I never thought of that, to be honest.” Her phone buzzed and she looked at the message from her grandda. “He said to tell you that it’s both…there are two of them. He’s not sure why there is, but he’s got someone looking into it. There are no names yet, but the initials as you have guessed are both the
B
and the
D
. He also said to tell you that for the last nearly thirty years there has also been an
RW
with a line under it above the name.” She could see that he was still typing and waited for him. When the message popped up, she laughed. “He said that he’s going to expect a payment from you in the form of a pineapple pie when he gets this for you.”

“Deal.” Andi laughed and stood up. “Tell Paddy that it’s a secret, if you don’t mind. And that if he would talk to you and not me about it, I think we can work this out. Thanks for your help on this, Nikki. I’m glad that you’re a part of this family too.”

After Andi left her, she checked on Aedan and Rose told her he’d gone to his office. Nikki had taken one of the rooms on this floor as her own and went there now. Time to have a little fun with this potter. Plus, she wanted to get her own Christmas list started and try to figure out what to get for her husband, five brothers, two sisters-in-law, as well as in-laws and her grandda. Not to mention staff. Her mind was still working around that when Grandda messaged her again. It was a link.

Daniel Rickson, 84, died peacefully in his sleep, it began. She read the entire thing, making notes on all the family names. There were four with the first initial
B.
Benson, Blake, Brody, and initials again, BG. There wasn’t any mention of how they were related to the elderly man, only that they were family. She called Andi to let her know.

“Oh well, perhaps I can figure out something else.” Nikki told her not to give up, her grandda had said there were two potters. “You think you can figure that out? I’m thinking this is why the woman didn’t get back to me with much. He was more than likely ill.”

“I would say that’s a good bet. Let me do some more digging, and when I find out something, I’ll let you know. Maybe they’ll have a sale or something that we can go and find some of his pieces. Might be kind of fun. A road trip for the two of us.” Andi laughed and said she was game.

Nikki worked for another two hours and found out that there was very little on Mr. Rickson and the BG person, but a lot on some of the other members of his family. It seemed that they weren’t a nice friendly family either.

Benson had been arrested twice for grand theft, stealing a car once and robbing a gas station the second time. He was currently out on parole. Blake Rickson was semi famous as an artist, but had run into hard times for a while and didn’t paint much anymore. There was very little on Brody other than to say that he wasn’t very social nor did he like to have his picture taken. There were several shots of him with his hand up in front of the lens. She thought she also figured out the RW on the newer pottery. It was the name of the new studio, she thought. But the best news she’d found was that there was going to be an exhibit and sale of some of the Rickson pieces in Columbus in a week, and she’d been able to snag two tickets by calling in a couple of favors.

Nikki was enjoying herself, she realized as she made her way up to bed. Aedan had gotten called out on a business emergency, and she had been so busy that she’d opted to stay home. She might just talk to her grandda about becoming private dicks, as was suggested.

Chapter 13

Brooke sat near her great grandda’s grave and looked around the beautiful setting where he’d been put to rest at. He would have absolutely hated it. Grinning, she described the area to him.

“You’re under a great maple tree. I’m sure that when you picked this plot for you all those years ago you had no idea how much you’d come to hate maples. Anyway, you’re right under it. I can almost hear you now; ‘The damned roots will make my back hurt more.’” She giggled. “There is a little vase of flowers here. I’m not sure who would have brought them, but they’re in an ugly plastic vase that looks like it might have been used before. I’m thinking that Mrs. Sheppard brought them to you. She never did like you.”

Great grandfather had been gone for two weeks now, and she missed him more and more every day. Thanksgiving had been a bust, with her all alone having a pizza while crying her eyes out. He’d been her entire world, and now, like a tablecloth being ripped off a table with the stuff still on it, that was how she felt. The place settings all wobbly, but nothing to make it prettied up.

“Benson came by the house yesterday. He’s pretty pissed off that you left it all to me. Thank you for that, by the way. I love that you gave me something to remember you by. Not that I need it, but I’m glad for the house and studio too.” She looked at the family just down from where she was, and saw that they were going to have a picnic. Right on the grave next to them. “Brody has been staying with me, but I don’t think that’ll be for much longer. You know how he can get.”

Benson, her brother, was a dick and a bastard. He was older than her by seven years, and lorded that over her whenever she didn’t do what he wanted. Which was seldom since she’d grown up and gotten smarter. He was forever in trouble, and when he wasn’t, he was about to be. Avoiding him had become nearly a full time job for her.

Brody was her baby brother by nearly two years. While he was loving and kind, he had his own set of problems. He had been diagnosed with social anxiety, or SAD, when he was about ten. He hated to be where people might judge him or look for things he might do wrong. There wasn’t any real foundation for his fears, but he had them all the same. It didn’t help him that her Uncle Blake and Benson would treat him badly when they were around him.

“I’ve heard from Mary again. She’s going to have to go, I think. From some of the emails that she’s sent me, it looks like she’s being rude to people who contact her about you. I’ll have another talk with her, but I don’t think it’ll do any good.” She thought about the lovely condolence email that had been forwarded to her account that she shared with her great grandda. “I’m going to take that part of your life over when she’s gone.”

Brooke looked at her watch and decided that she needed to get back to the studio soon. There were things there that needed her attention. She blew a kiss to her great grandda and made her way to her car. Brody was there waiting for her. He had his bags near him, packed already.

“I’m going to go.” She nodded and asked him if he wanted a ride. “Yes. To the bus station in town, please.”

“There is no bus station in town, Brody. Can I take you to the airport?” He nodded but didn’t look at her. She waited until he did. “Where are you going? Do you have money?”

“I don’t know. The first place I see that looks good. And I have money. About two grand now.” She nodded, knowing that he had plenty should he want it. Brooke took care of his accounts for him and made sure that he had good solid investments. “Benson is mad.”

“Benson is always mad. What is he mad about this time?” Brody got into the car when she did. Waiting for him to buckle up, she knew better than to help him. He’d remember, but until then, she’d not move the car. When he was ready, she started for the airport.

“He’s upset because you won’t give him the house. I don’t think you should either. He’d just sell it off then wonder where the money went. He asked me for some too. But I told him I was broke until next month.” He grinned at her. “Uncle Blake is mad too. But not just about the house. He’s mad because you got all of his things. You deserve them, Brooke. You took care of Granddaddy when he had that stroke. It should be yours.”

“Thanks, Brody. He hated being so ill after leading such an active life. I miss him.” Brody said he did as well. “Will you let me know when you get to where you’re going? Send me a postcard or something. I’d like to hear from you.”

“You going to that show? The one that Grandda put you in?” She said that she didn’t know yet. “I hope you do. Maybe I’ll come and see you there. Nobody has to know who you are. Just like with Grandda.”

Recluse. Hermit. Anchorite. Troglodyte. He was no more a caveman than she was a beauty queen. These were all names that her grandda had been called all his life. He told her once that it made him more famous, the fact that no one knew who he was. And when she began working in the clay with him, he’d told her to never let anyone know her first name. It would haunt her for the rest of her life. So she’d learned to mimic his signature but made hers a B instead of a D, as his name was. It had served her well too.

“I might go, then, if I have a chance to see you there.” She knew that she had to go. She’d made a promise to him the morning he passed away. “I have all the pieces crated up. They’re going to pick them up next week, after the first of the month.”

“I saw them when I thought you were in there.” She spent a great deal of time in the studio, and when she wasn’t in there, she was in the firing room, where she and Grandda had built their kilns, both open air and closed. “You be safe, Brooke. You’re all I have now.”

“I promise, Brody. Do you want me to park and go in with you?” He said no, he’d be better on his own. “You call me, all right? I need to know that you’re safe too.”

“I will. As soon as I get it figured out.” He got out of the car and she waited for him to close the door, but he got back in and kissed her on the cheek. She was so surprised by it that he was gone before she could do anything. Brooke cried all the way home.

There were two cars in her drive when she got there. One of them was her uncle’s, the other she thought was her brother’s. But the last time she’d seen it, it had been new; this one had been wrecked. A lot, it seemed. Both of them were sitting on the front porch when she got out, and stayed where they were when she joined them. There wasn’t any way that they could get in without her and the keys. Not unless they wanted to be arrested again.

“I thought now that the old man is gone, you’d take the security off for us.” She asked Benson why she’d do that. “Come on, Brooke. This is too much house for one person. I thought you’d let me stay here for a little while. You let Brody when he’s around. Where is he, anyway? I think he was going to lend me some cash.”

“He’s left, and no he wasn’t. You know as well as I do that he told you no. The same as I’m telling you about living here with me. No. I don’t want you stealing from me again.”

She sat down and waited for her Uncle Blake to speak. When he stood up, towering over her, trying to intimidate her, she pulled out her gun. He backed off with his hands in the air.

“You never were very nice to me.” She told him because she didn’t like him. “Now there you go, being all uppity to me. Don’t you know that I’m your uncle? And that you should just bow before me?”

“Not going to happen. And I’d very much like it if the two of you got off my porch. I’m not going to invite you in, and I’m certainly not going to give you anything. You heard what the will said. You’ve both spent any good will that he had for either of you.” Uncle Blake spit on the porch and she said nothing.

“I’m thinking you might owe us just a little more, don’t you think, sister dear? I mean, you got it all. That ain’t the least bit fair, now is it?” Brooke pretended to consider it, and told Benson she thought it was. “Why don’t you just give us a couple of his pieces to sell off? I heard there was a bigger market for them now that he is dead. What are you going to do with them anyway? Look at them? Christ, woman, it’s not like you don’t have like a million pieces stashed in there. Just two each for us.”

“Nope.” She pulled her phone out and looked at the time. “You have two minutes to get out of here before I call the cops. I have a restraining order against you, Uncle Blake, and if you fuck with me, it’ll land your ass back in jail. This time you’ll be staying, too. You too, Benson. It’s time you both left.”

When he took a step toward her, she heard the low growl behind her. She knew it was the wolf that hung around the land, even knew that he was the local banker when he wasn’t roaming the woods. Morgan Boyer had been a friend of her grandda’s and hers for a very long time.

“You calling the dogs on me now? Brooke, you are…Christ.” She turned when Uncle Blake backed away far enough to hit the wall behind him.

There were perhaps fifty wolves there, all of them large and dark. Their fur stood on end and their fangs were showing while they moved closer to the porch where they were standing. Morgan touched her mind and was laughing when he spoke to her.

He smells of fear. What I wouldn’t give to see him wet his pants again
. Brooke told him to behave.
I shall, Running Water. I shall.

Morgan was part of the local tribe that lived in Cheyanne. There were others there, most of them simply human, but Morgan and his pack weren’t people to fuck with. She’d seen him in action before. Brooke turned to her family.

“If you leave right now, I’ll not tell him to attack. You know that I can, I’ve done it before.” Benson nearly fell twice getting to his car, but Uncle Blake stood his ground. “You’re not getting anything from me. Not a thing.”

“There will come a time, Brooke, when you don’t have these dogs here to protect you. And when you get there, I’m going to teach you a lesson that I should have years ago.”

Brooke lifted her chin, showing him that she wasn’t afraid of him anymore, when the truth was, she was terrified of him and her brother. As he moved by her, he reached out. When his fingers brushed her arm, she saw the black streak hit him in the chest. Morgan had her uncle down on the ground with his mouth around his throat.

Go in the house, Running Water. I will not harm him, but he won’t leave here without giving me a taste of his blood. I promise you, it won’t be nearly enough to kill him, as he deserves.
Nodding, she did as she was told. Two of the pack entered with her, and she fell rather than sat on the couch. Neither of them came to her, but just knowing that they were there helped.

Brooke had no idea what she was going to do now. Her family wasn’t going to let her live her quiet life any longer, she’d bet. When Morgan came in a few minutes later, Brooke burst into tears. It was suddenly too much for her.

~~~

Mac checked on his tickets twice as he made his way to Columbus. To think he was going to get to see his favorite artist. Or at least his work. He glanced over at his brother, Darcy, and asked him if he was as excited as he was.

“No one is as excited as you are. You’re like a five-year-old at Disney. Christ, I can’t believe I agreed to come with you.” Darcy was joking and Mac knew it. He liked the guy’s work too. Just not nearly as much. “We’re going to have a lot of time between the show tomorrow and when we arrive. What do you want to do first? Mom wants us to pick up a few things while we’re at the North Market, and then Dad wants us to find a cigar shop to get something for Howard.”

“I’m supposed to look for a place that sells antiques to see if I can find an old chest for the baby’s room. Mom is getting it for Andi for Christmas. Also, we’re to keep an eye out for anything that has to do with fishing. I guess Paddy loves old lures too.” Mac had never had so many to buy for at Christmas. And he was loving every minute of it.

There were the aunts that had been adopted by the family, and Nikki’s grandda that had filled that spot for them. He was glad now that they’d brought a truck with them. He was sure they were going to fill it before they left.

“I have a few places that I want to see about as well. I’m in the market for something to put in the second building I bought, and I haven’t any idea yet what to put in there.” Darcy looked a little frazzled, and Mac asked him what was going on. “I’m thinking of leaving the firm. I don’t have a lot of interaction with anyone there anymore, and to be honest, I’m sort of burnt out in helping people get their businesses up and going. I want to do that for something I own.”

“You mean go into business for yourself?” Darcy said yes, that was what he was thinking. “Good for you.”

Darcy laughed. “I thought you’d tell me how much you needed me. How leaving the family business is a poor move. At least you could have given a little token sadness for me leaving.” Mac felt his face heat up. “I’m kidding, Mac. Thank you.”

“I just want you to do what you want. The rest of us are.” Darcy nodded. “I’ve seen you talking to Dad about your building and how much fun you’re having in renovating it. I know that you have help, but Dad said you were doing pretty much all of it on your own.”

“I didn’t have a clue how to hang drywall or to set a screw. I just thought, you know, that it just appeared.” They both laughed. “Not really, but you know what I mean. Anyway, I think I’d be good at being a business owner. I’ve certainly got enough experience from others in how to make one fail.”

They talked about it all the way to Columbus, only pausing long enough to get some dinner and gas. This was going to be fun. Not just because he was getting to do something that he’d wanted to do for a long time, go to an art opening, but he was going to get to do it with his brother. When they got to their hotel, he spoke to Andi.