Changing Times (5 page)

When he was grudgingly connected, Tony left a short message
asking Carly to return his call at her earliest convenience. He knew she worked
the night shift, but hoped she would be awake soon so he could convince her to
stop by the jail. Tony knew Carly didn’t owe him anything.

In fact, he was really in her debt, however, he hoped she
would agree to see Susan. He was worried about her mental health. And he didn’t
know any other doctors he trusted. Somehow, he was sure he could trust Carly.
His instincts were generally correct.

Even through the fog of sleep, Carly heard her phone ring.
That distinctive chirping sound signaled a hospital voicemail waited for her.
God, she loved technology. Rolling over, she pulled the sheet up farther over
her shoulders. She didn’t have to answer that call for three glorious days.
Then she started to wonder who it might be.

What if it was about the stabbing victim from last night? She
was sure the young woman was going to make it, but what if there had been a
problem? Carly gave up. She could never win an argument with herself when it
came to her patients. She called her voicemail.

The well-remembered sensual voice on the message made her
rub her skin. He requested a return call. She certainly hadn’t expected to hear
from her patient. Then again, she had indicated an interest in his particular
rapid healing ability. Maybe he was using this as an excuse to ask her out?
Carly chuckled as that thought hit her.

She had the distinct feeling that if Tony Pantera wanted to
ask a woman out, he wouldn’t resort to any type of subterfuge. In fact, in
spite of the fact that he was obviously delusional, a man that reeked
sensuality like he did probably had any number of women on the hook at one
time. She debated briefly before hitting the button to replay the message, then
jotting the number he’d left on the pad on her bedside table.

Carly stretched luxuriously, then threw back the
summer-weight comforter and got out of bed. She yawned as she walked into her
white on white bathroom and turned the water on to wash her face.

Before deciding whether or not to actually return Tony’s
call, Carly decided she needed coffee. She made her way back downstairs to the
kitchen and stopped by the front door to pick up the newspaper. She pulled the
binder off the paper as she walked into the kitchen, then tossed the paper on
the counter as she set about starting a fresh pot of coffee.

While the coffee perked, Carly stared out of the kitchen
window. There was a hummingbird feeder outside the window and she absently noted
that it needed to be refilled. Carly poured the fresh coffee into one of her
huge earthenware mugs, then sat at the counter and pulled the paper toward her.

The front-page headline caught her attention right away.
Carly read the story with some interest and a lot of professional curiosity.
She wondered how the petite woman in the picture could have overpowered the
large man in the other picture to the point that she had practically ripped his
throat out. A distinct chill went down Carly’s spine and she peered closely at
the picture of the woman.

The shrill jangle of her phone caused Carly to jump and to
splash coffee all over the newspaper. She grumbled as she reached for the
extension on the wall. It was a siding salesman. She hung up on him without
listening to his pitch, then turned her attention back to the newspaper.

The story was told with typical fervor for the bizarre and
Carly tried to read between the lines. It was sad and she felt bad for the
victim and the young woman who had been arrested for his murder. Carly finished
her coffee and poured a second cup before thinking about Tony Pantera again. He
was in the forefront of her mind now.

She remembered the way the dim light in the bedroom had
shone in his hair and the strange gold tint to his green eyes. Carly shook her
head and made her way back upstairs to her bedroom. She wanted to get dressed
before she called Tony. It might seem strange, but she didn’t want to talk to
him while she was still wearing the tank top and shorts she habitually wore to
bed.

When she was dressed and had run a brush through her hair,
Carly picked up the pad by the bed where she had written his phone number.
Carly dialed the number and couldn’t stop the small thrill that raced up her
spine when he answered.

“Pantera.”

“Mr. Pantera? Carly Chambers returning your call.”

“Carly, I’m glad you called. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No, no, I usually take several short naps during the day.
What can I do for you, Mr. Pantera?”

“Call me Tony, please. I have a rather strange request to
make of you. Do you have any time today to speak to me?”

Carly was quiet for a long time, then she took a deep
breath. “I’m free this morning for about an hour. What is this request?”

“I have a friend who is in some trouble and I think she
could use someone to talk to. She may also need some medical attention and I
don’t think she’s going to receive what she needs where she is right now.”

“What kind of trouble? Has she also been shot?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Tony’s soft chuckle reached
across the phone line and stroked a shivery line down the middle of her back. “I’m
afraid she’s been arrested.”

“For what?”

“Have you seen the paper this morning?”

“Yes.” There was a short pause, then Carly sat up straight. “It’s
that murder case, isn’t it? You want me to go visit her in jail?”

Tony must have heard the disbelief in her voice because he
rushed into an explanation before she could hang up on him. He told her what a
gentle person Susan was and how it was impossible that she had murdered this
man in cold blood. He spoke of Susan’s family, her friends, those who would be
willing to stand by her.

Tony spoke quietly and quickly, not giving Carly time to
interject or interrupt him as he asked for her help in dealing with Susan’s
mental health while she was in jail.

Carly finally pulled the phone away from her ear and
whistled sharply. When she put the phone back up to her ear, there was silence.

“May I speak now?”

“Please.”

Carly could hear faint amusement in his voice and it only
irritated her. “I’ll see your friend, though I have no idea what I can do for
her short of prescribing her a sedative. I don’t want to get involved in her
trial in any way, so you need to figure out some way to keep me out of that. I’m
also not sure that I’m the right person for this. It sounds to me like she
needs a psychiatrist, not a physician.”

“Thank you, Carly. May I give you a ride or would you prefer
to meet me there?”

“I’ll meet you there in about fifteen minutes. Are you so
sure you can get me in to see her?”

“I’ll take care of that. Carly, thank you for agreeing to do
this.”

The two of them disconnected and Carly shook her head on a
sigh. She couldn’t believe she had agreed to this.

True to his word, Tony was leaning against his car when
Carly pulled into the parking lot beside the parish jail. Tony walked over and
opened her car door for her, then offered her his hand. Carly shot him a look,
then shook her head as she took his hand, allowing him to help her from the
car. His mannerisms were more suited to the last century than the present day,
though she found them somewhat attractive.

“Thank you for coming, Carly. Julia Summers has made
arrangements for you to see Susan.”

“Julia Summers? Boy, when you retain a lawyer, you go all
out, don’t you?” Carly immediately recognized the name of the trial attorney.
Julia Summers had been involved in several high-profile cases in the past few
years, though none of them would be as sensational as this one seemed to be.

“Julia is an old friend.” Tony paused and let his “other”
peer through his eyes briefly. He caught the straightening of Carly’s spine as
he spoke again. “In fact, you could say we’re related.”

“Okay.” Carly drew the word out as she led the way toward
the jail. Tony’s hand on her elbow wasn’t restrictive. It just felt strange.
Tony reached out to open the door and this time Carly did stare at him. “What
century are you living in?”

“I was raised to be a gentleman. I never apologize for it.”
Tony smiled slightly to take the sting out of his words, though that didn’t
stop Carly from feeling rather small.

She led the way into the jail where Julia had left passes
for them. A police officer led them to a visitation room, then stood outside
the door as Susan was brought in. She wasn’t a large woman, in fact, Carly was
surprised at how petite she actually was.

Susan’s hair was a soft shade of brown and her eyes had that
same luminous quality that Tony’s did, though hers were a dark brown. She
shuffled into the room due to the shackles on both her ankles and wrists. Carly
felt more than saw Tony tense beside her. She glanced up to see his eyes turn
an alarming shade of gold as he stared at the officers standing just outside
the door.

He took a small step forward, but Susan’s raised hand
stopped his forward motion. Tony slowly turned his head toward Susan and Carly
watched as his eyes tracked slowly from the officers to the tiny woman standing
there in the large orange jumpsuit and shackles. Susan shook her head slightly
and Tony took a deep breath before walking toward her.

He spoke quietly to her in French and Carly struggled to
catch what he was saying. Tony brushed his knuckles across Susan’s cheek, then
turned to introduce her to Carly. Carly spent the next half-hour just listening
to Susan describe what she had been through with her employer. Carly had heard
tales of people being harassed and Susan’s story fit the profile very well.

At the end of their allotted time, Carly and Tony left the
jail, Tony promising to return the next day. Carly saw his eyes change again as
the officer steadied Susan when her balance shifted due to the shackles on her
ankles.

Carly noted a fine tremor course through Tony. He
practically vibrated with anger. She guessed he must have strong feelings for
this young woman. Perhaps she was his lover. For the police to have shackled
Susan, they must believe she was extremely dangerous. Carly watched Tony force
his attention away from Susan and to Carly.

He filled his lungs with a deep breath, then waved his hand
toward the door. Carly nodded and got to her feet. She preceded him down the
hall and they left the jail without speaking until they were in the parking lot
again.

Tony leaned against the hood of Carly’s car and crossed his
arms. “What do you think?”

“I think she needs a professional. I’d be happy to recommend
someone for you, but honestly, this is out of my realm. I’m not a psychiatrist
or a psychologist. I’m a physician. I believe she needs someone to talk to who
can help her deal with the abuse she’s suffered.

“Am I that person? No, unfortunately, I’m not. If she had a
medical problem, I’d be able to help her, but this is not my field.” Carly
leaned against the car door and watched him.

Tony sighed as he nodded. He ran one hand through his hair,
then met her eyes. “I was afraid you were going to say that. I just wish there
was something else I could do for her.”

Tony pushed himself off her car with a swift movement. He
took a deep breath, then faced her fully. “Would you have coffee with me?”

“Now?” Carly stammered slightly, then was angry with herself
for doing so.

“Why don’t you leave your car here? I’ll bring you back to
it.” Tony stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. As he
spoke, he reached out and took her hands.

Carly felt his thumbs rubbing across the backs of her hands,
but she couldn’t take her eyes off his. Tony’s eyes shown with a warm green
color today, though even as she watched a ring of gold appeared around the dark
iris. Carly took a deep breath and pulled her hands out of his.

“Fine. Where are we going?”

Tony shrugged as he turned away from her slightly. “What
about the Trianon? We could have an early lunch.”

Tony waited for her answer with a faint grin on his face. He
could feel the tension in her even with the distance between them. And, even
though she thought he was delusional, she was still attracted to him. As a man,
that made him smile. As a shifter, it gave him pause.

His last liaison with a human had turned out badly and he
wasn’t willing to go through that type of pain again. He reached once again for
the memory. A frail human with brown hair who had needed him. He had failed her
by not protecting her from other shifters. Those who would, to this day, hurt
or kill humans who got involved with shifters.

Jenny hadn’t asked for any of the grief he’d brought into
her life. She’d been human and hadn’t known about his shifting. She’d been
caught up in a battle he hadn’t anticipated and had paid the ultimate price
before he could reach her side to protect her. That was the price a human paid
for loving a shifter. And he would never ask another human to risk that.

He only wanted to have lunch with the doctor to talk about
Susan. That was all. Clamping down on his physical reaction firmly, he opened
the car door for her.

Tony smiled as her almond scent mingled with fragrance of
the leather seats in his car. She breathed in so deeply he wondered what she
was expecting to smell. She let her head fall back against the headrest in an
indulgent motion. Obviously she thought she might as well enjoy the ride. Her
attention slid across the seat to rest on him.

“‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than
are dreamt of in your philosophy.’”

“Excuse me?” Tony looked at his passenger. Why on earth was
she quoting Shakespeare? Then he shook his head. Micah. That was what that
phrase reminded him of. Micah was always quoting that line or something
similarly obscure when he did one of his disappearing acts.

Her response snapped him back to the here and now. “Did I
say that out loud? I apologize. I was just remembering something…”

“Micah told you, right?” At her astonished gaze, he allowed
himself a smug feeling. He’d surprised her. The fact that she didn’t say
another word until they swung into the narrow lot that served as parking for
Trianon was a drawback, but Tony guessed she was trying to figure him out. Too
bad she would never be able to do that.

He eased his car between another luxury car and someone’s
old junker, marveling at the disparity that was so typical of New Orleans. She
met him at the rear of the car. So, she wasn’t going to give him all the moves,
was she? Smiling, he placed his hand on her elbow to lead her across the
parking lot toward the restaurant.

He could feel her tension in the stiffness of her arm. It
seemed as though all her senses were engaged at that one joint of her body. She
jerked slightly and he raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry,” she muttered. Straightening her spine, she offered
him her arm again. He could almost feel her thoughts, so plain were they on her
face. She seemed to be reminding herself that this was the South and men still
acted with chivalry here.

Tony glanced at her as they reached the door. He reached out
to open it for her with a slight smile. Carly merely lifted her chin and led
the way into the restaurant. The maître d’ greeted Tony by name and assured
them a table would be ready momentarily.

Tony took the opportunity to study Carly again. She was
extremely healthy. He could literally smell the good health surrounding her.
Her blonde hair was shiny, her eyes a bright blue. His gaze skimmed over her
figure and what he saw didn’t displease him at all. She was physically fit but
not overly muscular.

She had to be completely aware of his scrutiny. He didn’t
linger on her breasts or her hips, but he knew she could feel his gaze. He imagined
her reaching over to touch him to get his attention.

He knew very well what she saw when she looked at him. He
worked hard to maintain his image. In spite of the fact that he was obviously a
well-known businessman, his general appearance didn’t scream “corporate magnate”.
The plain white dress shirt he wore was silk but the gray slacks tailored to
fit his unique form could have come from any one of several finer men’s stores.

His one nod to vanity hung from his head in a loose ponytail
today but it still fell almost to the middle of his back. Like a silky black
tail. Tony studied her as they sat at the table with their menus. Carly met his
eyes over the menu then dropped her gaze. Tony leaned forward as he clasped his
hands on the table in front of him.

“What made you decide to go into medicine?”

“I always wanted to do something interesting. Medicine just
fit the bill. I love being able to fix things, you know? What about you? Why
antiques?”

Tony shrugged. “My Spanish ancestors settled in New Orleans
a long time ago and intermarried with the French and other people living here.
I had always been fascinated as a child by the clothes and furniture in the
pictures at my family’s home. Then when I realized there was a whole world out
there of people who had ancestors from different countries, with different
furniture and different things, I decided I wanted to know more about them.

“I started out studying architecture then discovered I was
more interested in the things that people actually put in their homes rather
than the homes themselves. My paternal grandmother had an astonishing
collection of early Spanish art. She was really the one who got me started
collecting art pieces. After that it was only natural for me to open an
antiques shop. I simply wanted to share my love of history with others.”

Carly beamed at him, a genuine smile. “I think that’s great.
I’ve never really been into antiques myself, though I know a lot of people are.
I guess it’s growing up in California where it’s always ‘the newest’ or ‘the
latest’ that everybody was crazy about. Even my parents wanted the most modern,
the latest in furniture and fashions. I do have one antique. It’s a piece of
jewelry that belonged to my great-great-grandmother. Would you like to see it?”

Tony’s smile was brief but he nodded in the affirmative. His
eyebrows went up slightly as Carly reached under the neckline of her shirt to
pull a thin gold chain out into the open. She held the necklace out toward him.
Tony shifted his chair so that he was closer to her then reached out and cupped
the pendant at the end of the chain in his right hand.

It was warm from the heat of her body. He knew from the
length of the chain that the pendant nestled between her breasts. Tony resisted
the urge to drop his eyes to her breasts again and instead concentrated on the
pendant.

It was egg-shaped and not as heavy as he had expected it to
be. Tony turned it over in his hand and looked for a jeweler’s mark on the
back. The mark was there but was very faint from years of wear. He leaned
slightly closer to Carly and heard as well as felt her draw in a breath. His
smile was fleeting and he tilted his head slightly so that he could look up at
her face. Carly’s eyes were locked on his head as her breathing became slightly
shallower.

This time the urge that came over him was to draw her nearer
to him. Instead, he lifted his head slowly. His hand was still clasped around
the pendant but his eyes were locked on Carly’s. Her breathing was still
somewhat shallow and he could see her pulse beating rapidly in her throat.

Tony released a soft rumble from his throat and watched her
pulse increase even more. He sat up slowly so that their faces were very close
together. He could feel her breath on his face as she exhaled sharply.

When Tony let the pendant drop it he watched Carly struggle not
to lean back in her chair away from him. He could smell her arousal. It made
him want to sweep the table clean and lay her out on it for dessert. He
wondered if she knew he’d been fighting not to pull her head up to his and kiss
her as he had studied the pendant. Not for the first time, Tony wished he could
read minds.
What had she been thinking
?

Tony watched Carly, keeping his expression purposefully
blank. There was an almost magnetic pull between them. He knew she felt it. She
started to lean toward him. Tony’s eyes were locked on hers as she closed the
distance between them. Her heart pounded loud enough for him to hear and her
lips parted as if in anticipation of contact.

“Well, well, what have we here?” The voice was unfamiliar
and deep. Tony went ice cold but slowly leaned back in his chair. Carly turned
her head to see the tall man standing beside their table.

Tension rolled off Tony. He felt sure Carly could see it.
She slowly leaned back in her chair as the stranger moved around the table so
that he was standing just to her side. She would have had to turn her head to
see him comfortably. Tony on the other hand could now see him more clearly.

Tony kept his eyes on the other man as he reached out to
touch Carly’s hand. His touch was fleeting, meant only to reassure her and he
felt her take a deep breath. Satisfied that she was in no immediate danger,
Tony concentrated on the man in front of him. It was the same man who had
appeared outside his shop.

“Hello, Tony. Just thought I’d drop by for a minute when I
saw you with this lovely lady.” Tony watched the other man touch the ends of
her hair. He felt the slight shiver snake its way down her spine. Good. She
knew instinctively that this man was dangerous.

Tony was proud. No fear pheromones came from this human. He
knew in her line of work she’d probably dealt with his type before. However,
Tony hoped she could tell that there was
something
about the man behind
her. He nodded his approval as Carly stood her ground, obviously resisting the
urge to move away from him. She stared at Tony. He gave her a lazy wink before
he turned his full attention back to the other man.

“What do you want, Slade?”

“So you do know who I am. That’s gratifying, really.”

The man’s voice was not nearly as seductive as Tony’s but
Carly could still feel the power in his voice. He moved slightly and she caught
a whiff of sandalwood. “I thought I’d have to introduce myself but I guess you
got my earlier message.”

“I’ll ask again, what do you want, Slade?” Tony’s voice had
deepened, his words were almost but not quite growled at the other man.

“An accounting, Tony.” The way the other man said Tony’s
name made it sound like an insult. “I hear one of your kitties has had a little
trouble with the human police. I’d like to offer my help.”

“Why?” Tony’s voice was still very deep but strangely calm.

“Isn’t it obvious? She could set a new precedent for all of
us. Fuck with us—we’ll kill you. It’s that simple, really. We’re tired of
hiding who and what we are. We want an accounting from the humans for all the
years of hiding, being ashamed, scared. We want to let them know who we are.

“So, what do you say, Tony? Are we going to help each other?”
Slade leaned forward so that his breath brushed across Carly’s shoulder. It was
all she could do not to move away from him.

Tony’s eyes were more golden than ever now. His lip curled
slightly. Carly could feel the man behind her tense then his voice came again.
It was right next to her ear. She turned her head slightly then looked out of
the corner of her eye at the man leaning over her back.

“So, what is it with you and human females, Tony?” Slade’s
voice was soft and right next to her ear. Carly jumped slightly when Slade
touched her. He ran his forefinger from under her ear to her shoulder. “They’re
so frail and they break so easily.”

Tony’s growl reached Slade and Carly at the same time. He
moved more quickly than Carly thought possible.

Tony was out of his chair and behind her before she was even
aware he had started to move. For a brief moment she’d had the impression that
he had leapt over her but that was ridiculous. He couldn’t have gone from a
sitting position to standing behind her by jumping over her. That wasn’t
humanly possible.

Carly refused to consider anything else. She quickly turned
in her chair to watch the two men.

Tony had his hands fisted on Slade’s shirt. Slade was simply
standing there, smiling at Tony with his own hands at his sides. His brown eyes
were positively glowing at Tony. “You want to fight me, Pantera? You want to
take me on? Name the place. Here I am offering to help and this is how you
react?”

The maître d’ suddenly appeared. “Gentlemen, please.”

Tony was still growling softly but Carly could see him
regaining control. “Stay away from me and mine, Slade. All of mine.”

“You had your shot, Pantera. You should have taken it.”
Slade backed up a step with a grin on his face. He met Carly’s eyes and winked
at her with his grin still firmly in place then left the restaurant. Tony stood
with his hands fisted at his sides as he watched Slade leave.

“Mr. Pantera, really, I cannot allow this sort of behavior.”

“I’m sorry, Maurice. I didn’t mean to cause a disturbance. I
believe the lady and I will leave now.” Tony turned to look at Carly. She was
still somewhat shaken but she took the hand he offered. They left the
restaurant without looking back.

When they arrived at Tony’s car a short exclamation from him
drew her attention to the car. Both rear tires were flat. Tony cursed softly in
Spanish as he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

Carly waited until he had finished his conversation then
stepped in front of him. “Who was that?”

“His name is Slade. Carly, listen to me, I want to give you
some phone numbers. If you ever see him again, call me or one of the other
numbers I give you. Slade is dangerous. Don’t try to take him on.”

“You think I can’t handle him?” Carly had her hands on her
hips as she glared at him. Tony almost smiled but stopped as though he knew it
would be a mistake. Instead he reached out and ran his fingertips down the side
of her face then gently pushed her hair off her shoulder. He ran his hand the
length of her arm then took her hand and raised it to his mouth.