Blue Moon (2 page)

Chapter Two

Vivianna

I ripped my top off and pulled on my faded nightshirt. The bastard had the nerve to assume I was a fan. Like I would
ever
sell merch for his band. Ugh. I wanted to scream. He knew better than anyone I wanted to be a journalist. I graduated from Boston University, and it sure as hell wasn’t so I could sell Howler T-shirts. Bastard.

And to top it off, he called me Anna. I wasn’t sure if I was more furious at him, or at myself for loving it.

Would I ever get over that asshole? I’d had three semi-serious boyfriends over five years.

And not one of them ever got to me like he did.

Enough.

I shoved the memory aside, replacing it with reality. Tonight he’d been a dick to me, but I gave him something to think about. He could probably hide his emotions from most people, but I knew him too well. It shook him when I held Luke’s hand.

Good. Let him stew about me dating his brother.

Calling me Anna didn’t mean anything. I slammed my dresser drawer closed, right on my damned finger.

“Shit!”

I popped my throbbing index finger in my mouth as Madison peeked in my bedroom. “Everything okay in here?”

“No, but I’ll live.” I sank onto the bed.

Madison was my best friend in our sorority. We both came from blue collar families and worked our asses off getting good grades and chasing down scholarships and fellowships every semester.

A journalism degree from Boston University was far from cheap, and we were surrounded by plenty of affluent peers with entitlement issues. Madison’s looks made it a little easier for her to blend in among the elite, with her bright blue eyes and long blond hair. My dark complexion, dark hair, and Mexican last name made it tougher sometimes, but we braved the shark infested social waters together. Finding Madison had been a huge blessing.

She sat beside me. “I’m guessing you got to talk to him? Is he going to give you the interview?”

“Pfft
.
” I groaned. “Yeah, I saw him.”

“And?” She nudged me with her shoulder.

“
And
I didn’t even get a chance to ask him about the interview before he took off.” I dropped my hands in my lap with a sigh. “He’s even hotter than I remember.” I met her eyes. “But he also reminded me why I hate him.”

“Sorry, Vivi.” She patted my leg. “What happened?”

“First he assumed I was a fan, then insulted me when I told him I was only there for work.” My tone softened as the truth came out. “He called me Anna.” My heart clenched, the memory of his voice echoing through my mind. “I told him he can’t call me that anymore, and he blew me off and left.”

She leaned back on her elbows. “How are you going to get the interview?”

“I have no clue.” I lay on the bed and turned toward her, propping my head up on my hand. “In some romantic delusion, I imagined he’d see me again, beg for my forgiveness, and then make time for my questions so I can get my shot at a staff position at
Rolling Stone
. He owes me that much, at least.”

“Would you have?”

“Would I have what?”

She rolled her eyes. “Forgiven him.”

“No.” I sat up. “No way. I could never trust him again.”

“Forgiving him doesn’t mean you’d have to take him back.”

“True.” I rubbed my face and looked over my shoulder at her. “I guess I still remember who he was, and I can’t reconcile it with who he turned out to be. If he would just tell me what happened, I might be able to move on.”

Madison stared at the ceiling. “You’re not the first girl who got stood up for the prom by some jerk. Maybe he met someone else, or he didn’t have the money, or he just got cold feet.”

“No. None of those things would’ve mattered to Logan.”

She got up and stood in front of me. “You’ve got to let this go. You can’t keep every great guy at a distance because of this ass who didn’t realize how lucky he was to have your heart.”

Her older brother was one of the “great guys” I let slip away. I wanted to love Chandler, but when he proposed, I had to face the cold fact that he’d never really touched my heart. It was locked up, and I didn’t know how to open it again. It was like Logan walked away and took the key with him.

Madison went to the door. “It’s his loss, Vivi, and in the grand scheme of things, your prom doesn’t matter.”

“It’s not about that.” I wrapped my arms around my middle.

When I’d met Madison, losing Logan had been a fresh wound. I’d talked shit about him, desperate to make myself believe it. She didn’t understand. How could she?

I lifted my gaze. “He was much more than just a boyfriend who dumped me without any warning.” Pressing my lips together, I tentatively opened the chest of memories. “We met in the third grade. I had these horrible coke-bottle glasses and got called four-eyes more than my real name. School was rough.”

Jesus, this hurt. “One day he saw me crying on the swings. I tried to dry my tears and be tough. I was so sure he was going to tease me.” I rolled my eyes. “Instead he told me his name, as if I didn’t already know. He wasn’t in my class, but unlike me, he was beautiful and smart, and stronger and bigger than the other boys. Everyone knew him and Luke. I expected he’d be mean like the other kids, but he was kind, and when I told him my name, he couldn’t pronounce his v’s right.”

I hadn’t thought about that day in years. Tears welled in my eyes as I smiled. “So he decided he’d call me Anna, only he pronounced it ‘Ah-na.’” I shook my head, staring at my feet. “From then on we were best friends. He defended me from playground bullies, and I helped him with schoolwork.”

Madison leaned against the doorframe. “So he wasn’t always evil.”

I laughed and wiped my nose. “Yeah. It’d be much easier to hate him if he hadn’t been my closest friend, my first love.” I shrugged. “We lost our virginity together, planned our future…I just wish I knew what happened.”

“It wouldn’t change anything.” She straightened. “You’ve got to let Logan go. Get your interview and get on with your life.”

“You’re right. Seeing him again tonight has me all messed up.” I groaned. “You know what? Screw Logan Reynolds. I’ve got a bigger story cooking anyway. I can focus on that and get into real journalism, not pop culture.”

She raised a brow. “You didn’t tell me you had another story.”

“I’ve been too obsessed with the opportunity at
Rolling Stone
. But I stumbled across something during the Masquerade last October.” I got up and went to my desk. “There was a man there who told me his company just purchased a property from Taryn Goldstone. When I ran into him later that night after he’d had a few drinks, he mentioned something about government defense contracts.”

I flipped through the cards in my drawer and finally plucked it out. “Damian Severino.” Turning the card over, I smiled. “If nothing else it’ll help take my mind off of Logan, right?”

“Definitely.” Madison grinned. “I only met him in passing at the office, but I can see if I can find out anything interesting.”

She was the community relations manager for Goldstone Properties. Without Madison, I never would have been covering the annual Masquerade Ball for the Lake Tahoe elite. Goldstone Properties sponsored the annual event. It was an opportunity to network and raise money for local charities.

“I don’t want you to get in trouble with the Ice Queen.”

“She won’t need to know.” Madison waved it off. “Besides, Ms. Goldstone is much happier since she and Jared moved in together.”

“Please be careful.” Madison already let me crash in her spare bedroom. That was plenty. “Don’t lose your job because of me.”

“You know me better than that. I’m always careful.” Madison chuckled as she slipped out the door.

…

My phone buzzed, interrupting my online skimming of federal grant awards. Madison had managed to find me a business name on Damian’s documents
.
The Nero Organization.

But I was quickly discovering the Nero Organization was a shadow, and the more I dug around, the more confused I became. These days, any business that worked so hard
not
to be discovered had something to hide. Something big.

Which meant my first instinct was right. There was definitely a story here.

I picked up my cell, glancing at the text. Luke was going to be a few minutes late to pick me up. Instead of using the time to check my makeup and hair, I kept combing Google and Yahoo, searching for any clues about the Nero Organization.

My gut was telling me this Nero lead was going to be big. Once I discovered any facts about them
.
So far, I’d only found two references for government contracts, but the links led to dead ends.

Classified. Shit.

Eventually I’d track down their headquarters, and when I did, I’d chase the story. I couldn’t stay in Reno and Lake Tahoe forever.

A knock interrupted my thoughts. I peered through the peephole. Luke. I grabbed my purse and opened the door. He started to smile, then stopped and stared at his boots. “Before we go, can we talk?”

I frowned and stepped back so he could come inside. “Sure. Come in.”

He sat on the chair by the sofa. “After seeing you and Logan together the other night…” Lifting his gaze to meet mine, he cleared his throat. “What was with the hand holding? As far as I know we’re just friends.”

I blinked. “What do you mean after seeing us together? We were together for what, half a minute? He was a jerk and left.”

What was my problem? Luke and I
were
“just friends.”

“There’s still something between you two.”

I crossed my arms. “Yeah, hatred.”

“Whatever it is…” He got up. “I don’t want to get mixed up in it.”

Luke was a great guy and every bit as sexy as his brother. They both had bright blue eyes set against otherwise dark features. Strong jaws, regal brows…they were striking. When either one looked at you, your pulse raced, and you knew every person in the vicinity wished they could be you.

Being with the Reynolds brothers was intoxicating to say the least.

And I was lucky to call Luke a friend.

“I’m sorry. Part of me wanted to hurt Logan like he did me. I didn’t mean to drag you into it. Did Logan say something to you? Is that what this is all about?” And there it was. That stupid wide open door. Why couldn’t I just accept that I was never going to get closure?

“Not really. He said it’s between you and him.”

“It’d be nice if he let me in on it.” I got up and grabbed my purse. “Friends can still go to dinner, right?”

Luke smiled and opened the door. “Definitely.”

In some ways, it was comforting to be back in my childhood home in Reno. The Biggest Little City in the World had offered me opportunities to stay. I had a steady job, and UN Reno offered up a full-ride scholarship, but after my dad was killed fighting a wildfire, it turned into a ghost town for me. Memories lurked around every corner.

Logan’s parents, Nick and Laura, reached out to help my family. I don’t know what we would have done without them. Laura brought meals for me and my mom and brother, and Nick helped with the insurance settlement. Once the shock wore off, I started applying to schools on the east coast. I wanted a fresh start without running into painful reminders of my loss. I tried to lure Logan to follow, but he was a hometown guy. He didn’t want to leave his family behind.

Sometimes I envied him.

“Vivi?”

I glanced over at Luke. “Yeah?”

He chuckled. “I asked if pizza was all right.”

“Sounds great.” I nodded, heat rising in my cheeks. “Sorry about that. Some days it still feels strange to be back in Reno.”

“How do you like living up on top of the mountain in Tahoe with Madison?” He made a left and pulled into the pizzeria parking lot.

“It’s beautiful up there. After living in Boston for a few years, it took me a while to get used to the quiet nights. Hard to sleep without traffic and sirens in the background.”

We went inside and found a table in the corner. It would’ve been romantic if we hadn’t just agreed to keep things platonic.

After we ordered, Luke looked my way. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s good. She and my brother moved to San Francisco. Last year she got remarried to another fireman, if you can believe it.” I smiled, shaking my head. “I think she’s so accustomed to their work schedule and that knight in shining armor streak, she can’t help herself. He’s a great guy, though.”

“I’m glad she’s happy.” He cleared his throat and added, “So what are you going to do about the interview?”

“I think I’ll just tell
Rolling Stone
I’ve got a line on a bigger story and leave it at that.”

He raised a brow. “It’s not like you to give up.”

“You saw Logan last night. There’s no way he’s going to answer questions for me. Besides, I really do have a bigger story cooking, with a wider scope, too.” I glanced around the restaurant and lowered my voice. “A government contractor bought a place in Tahoe the end of last year, and it turns out they work on top secret defense contracts.”

“How do you know?” Luke clenched his jaw, leaning in a little closer.

I sat back against the booth. “I met a guy at the Goldstone Properties Masquerade. He worked for them and arranged the deal through Ms. Goldstone herself.”

“Why would they have any interest in Lake Tahoe?” Luke took a swallow of his drink. “That makes no sense.”

“Right?” I toyed with my glass. “It’s called the Nero Organization, and if I get lucky, I’ll find a juicy story to expose. It could make my career.”

Chapter Three

Logan

“It could get her fucking killed.” I raked my hair back from my forehead. “Why didn’t you stop her?”

Luke rolled his eyes. “And what exactly was I going to tell her? She’s a hungry reporter, and she smells blood in the water. If I tell her they’re dangerous, she’ll just chase the story even harder.” He crossed his arms. “Besides, the contact she met at the Masquerade was probably Damian, and as far as we know, he’s been dead for a few months.”

My brother was right, but it didn’t calm the raging wolf in my soul, struggling to protect our mate. “Tell her I’ll do the interview.”

“Oh, please.” Luke got up from the stool. He came around the bar into my kitchen and put his mug in the sink. “You’d have to answer her questions. You can’t even talk to
me
, and supposedly I’m your closest friend.”

Silence engulfed us, the hurt plain in his stare.

“I’m sorry I never told you, okay?”

He turned to face me and leaned against the sink. “Why keep the fact you found your mate a secret? I don’t get it. I would’ve been shouting it from the rooftops.”

“Easy to say that now. When you finally find her, you might feel differently.”

“
If
I find her. There’s no guarantee.” He passed by and went to the sofa.

He was right. “You’re not going to end up like Uncle Niko.”

“It’s a possibility, and we both know it.” Luke glared at me. “Your mate was already in your life, already perfect for you, and you’ve been an asshole to her ever since. You guys were good together. How could you break her heart and walk away?” He shook his head. “You don’t deserve her.”

“You’re right.” I sat in the chair across from him. “Where do you think all my songs came from? She’s all I see when I close my eyes, and hurting her…” My voice broke. I cursed under my breath and got up. “Even when we were kids, she wanted to be a journalist.” I glanced over my shoulder at my brother. “I can’t tell her we’re werewolves.”

“Vivi would never expose us.”

“But what if she did? She might even believe she could help us by getting our story out there.” I shook my head. “Remember the day dad took us to that jail cell to say good-bye to Uncle Niko? It was the first time I ever saw Dad cry. Niko took his own life to keep from shifting and exposing all of us to the human world. I can be alone. Vivi’s not a wolf. She’ll find a guy without secrets and have a good life.”

I ground my teeth, biting back a scream. The thought of her being with someone else tormented me. I needed her to get out of town before I lost my mind.

“Just tell her I’ll do the interview. Tomorrow morning. Then she can head home, and I can work on getting my wolf under control again.”

Luke got up. “I’ll tell her about the interview, but you should think twice before you send her packing again.”

“It’s way too late for second chances, bro.” A humorless chuckle escaped my lips. “I don’t deserve it anyway. I just want to get her out of town and keep her safe from the Nero powder keg.”

It had nothing to do with missing the sound of her voice, the spicy scent of her hair, or the way she’d always fit perfectly in my arms.

Shit. There was no way I’d be strong enough to let her walk away again.

But I had to. Somehow.

…

I tied the top of my hair back and gave myself one more look over. Shaking my head at the guy in the mirror, I chuckled. I didn’t primp this much for a sold-out concert.

A car pulled up outside, and the wolf inside me was alert and near the surface of my consciousness. Anna. A knock sounded at my door. She’d agreed to meet me in Reno at my place so we could have some privacy. I couldn’t go anywhere anymore without being recognized, but my house was at the end of a quiet street surrounded by a fenced acre of land. Peaceful, private, and groupie-free.

Occasionally Luke reaped the benefits of a fan thinking he was me. My brother was too good a guy to fall into bed without letting them know their mistake. But more than once, it didn’t make any difference.

Being the twin brother of a rock star had a few perks.

I opened the door to find Anna in a tight black skirt and an emerald green top with a plunging neckline, her long hair down her back, and a defiant glint in her eyes. She’d come ready for battle. Perfect.

“Come on in.” I held the door open a little wider.

She moved by me, careful not to touch. Probably for the best. Her scent filled my lungs like a drug, igniting a fire throughout my entire body. Anna sat in a chair at my dining room table and opened a little laptop. Next to her computer she set a digital recorder.

“Shall we start?”

I rubbed my suddenly sweaty palms on my jeans and took the chair across the table from her. Jesus, I was nervous. But judging by the hammering of her heartbeat in my ears, I wasn’t the only one at this table wound a little tight.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I tried to figure out where to look. I’d lose myself in her eyes, and any lower and I’d be admiring the way her top hugged her curves. I opted for the safety of the cabinets behind her head.

“Yeah, let’s do this.”

She cleared her throat, her fingers clicking the laptop keys. She pressed the button on her recorder. “I’m sitting with Logan Reynolds of Logan and the Howlers. Thanks for agreeing to talk to me. You’ve never given a press interview before. Why is that?”

My pulse raced as I wet my lips, struggling to keep my gaze from her face. “I’d rather spend my time writing songs. Talking about myself and my music seems…” I reached over and clicked the pause button. “I can’t do this.”

She clucked her tongue. “Wow. My bet was you’d bolt after five minutes. Never dreamed you wouldn’t make it through the first question. I should’ve known.” She closed her laptop, catching me off guard. My eyes met hers before I could stop myself. “Have a nice life, Logan.”

Suddenly she shook her head, a crease marring her smooth brow. “No. You know what? Don’t. I have no clue what happened to my best friend, the one who played with me on the playground when no one else would. But this Logan…” She gestured from my shoes on up. “This Logan can kiss my ass.”

She got up, and I put myself between her and the exit, jamming my hands in my pockets to keep from touching her. “Anna, wait.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t call me that.”

“I’ll do the interview. I just need to tell you something first.”

“Fine.” She set her computer bag back on the table.

“You have every right to hate me.” My fingers twitched in my jeans. “Please believe me, I’d tell you everything if I could.”

“Spare me.” She groaned, balling her hands into fists. “What did I ever do to you?”

I shook my head. “It’s…God…you…I just…” My fucking heart was tearing in two. “I just can’t be with you. It’s not you, Anna. It’s me.” My voice dropped to a raw whisper. “And knowing that kills me. It’s easier if…I don’t see you.”

“You’re just going to leave it at ‘it’s me, not you’? Seriously?” She crossed her arms, her dark eyes shining with tears I didn’t want to notice. “You’re such a self-centered jerk. Do my feelings or my dreams matter at all, or is this
all
about you?”

I frowned. “Jesus, Anna, since the first day we met I wanted your dreams to come true.”

“Stop calling me that. I’m not your lover or your girlfriend. We’re not even friends anymore. My name is Vivianna Lopez. In fact, you can call me Ms. Lopez.”

There was the fire that first drew me to her.

Even though I didn’t start shifting until I was seventeen, Luke and I always stood out. We were first picked on sports teams, and most kids wanted to be with us. They were probably scared to be against us.

But not Anna. She played alone, worked alone, and she was the first girl I’d ever been nervous to meet. She had passion and drive, and no apparent interest in me. She confused me and intrigued me all at once.

She still did.

An unexpected smile tugged at my lips. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Dead serious in fact.”

I crossed my arms. “Fine. I’m going to get a glass of water. Can I interest you in one, Ms. Lopez?”

She took her seat at the table. “That’d be nice. Thank you.”

Nice? Claiming her lips again would be nice. Sliding my hands up her body would be nice. Shit. I opened the cupboard, forcing back the thoughts before I had a raging erection. No woman had ever turned me on like Anna…Ms. Lopez. I rolled my eyes and filled the glasses.

When I brought them to the table, she had her equipment all set up once more. She looked at me. “Ready to try again?”

Oh shit, was I ever.