Force of Nature Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4) (70 page)

Connor was staring at Phil before he realized the man was there. He knew the man was speaking, but wasn’t entirely sure what he was saying until he shook him. Connor bit his tongue he’d been rattled so hard. Phil finally got through to him.

“I said this is what I could get. I reported the fire, but there was no way that I could save it all.” Connor looked at the pile of things lying on the ground. “I’m just glad that last week you showed me those things or I wouldn’t have had a clue what to grab first.”

Connor dropped to the ground and touched the things lying there. His pictures in the large boxes that he’d been meaning to hang and sort. There was his father’s rifle, the one that he’d shown Connor how to shoot when he’d turned thirteen. A shirt that had been his grandda’s that lay on the back of the couch, a cookbook that his grandmother had given him when he’d moved into the house. Connor stood up and grabbed the big vamp.

“You couldn’t have…I don’t know…you’ve no idea what you’ve done for me. It’s all here. All of the treasures that I have… Oh Phil, I can’t begin to tell you what this means to me.”

Phil nodded and pulled away. The man was either going to have to get used to hugs, or he was forever going to be uncomfortable. As soon as he was within reach of the others, each of them grabbed him up and pulled him to their bodies. By the time he’d made the rounds, the poor man was flustered and out of sorts. Funny, but Connor had a feeling that the man probably loved it for as much as he complained about it.

The house was finally out. The fire hadn’t burned long because it wasn’t really all that big, one bedroom, kitchen, living room, great room, and a bath. And it was made of logs. Connor listened as the fire marshal told his attorney, Phil it just so happened, that the fire was set and that pending an investigation, he was willing to bet it came back as gasoline was used as the accelerant.

“I know you weren’t involved. Been in this business long enough to know when a man has lost it all. Besides, you were just telling me how much you put into it this summer when the storms came a’busting through. New roof and all, I’d say you had more invested in the house than you’ll get from insurance. Unless, of course, you had one of them riders on it.”

“He did. All the houses that I help with do. I make sure they have them.” Phil winked at him. “Thanks, Roger. I’ll make sure I get the claim in as soon as you close on this and I’ll make sure I tell the mayor what a great job you and your boys did to keep this under control. Fire like this could have been a lot nastier if it had gotten away.”

Connor didn’t care, nor did he understand what the men were talking about. A rider? No clue. He was simply happy that he had some of his things left.

Chapter 10

Rich was laughing so hard he nearly missed where he’d been staying. The cave looked much like all the others in the area and he’d been distracted. He’d finally had some payback.

The only thing he regretted were the burns on his arms. The stupid fire had gotten away from him and he’d nearly not made it out of the house alive. But he’d made the bastard pay. Much better than he’d ever dreamed he would.

He’d seen the man coming out of the house earlier that morning. It had only taken him a little while to figure out it was the same man that had been at his own home only days before. The bastard Austin Force. There, of course, had been some slight differences, too small to quibble over, but he knew it was him. Now all he had to do was wait, wait and see how the man reacted to such news.

Rich looked down at the burns that hadn’t healed when he’d shifted. They should have, but now they were sorer than before. He wondered if the man had planted a trap in his house in the event that he tried to burn it down. He wouldn’t put it past him. He peered harder at them and saw that they were sort of seeping and looked bad. He smelled at them and all he could detect was soot and burning flesh. At times like these, he wished for his brother.

He’d been trying to contact Harvey every day and still nothing. He didn’t think he was dead, but he also didn’t think he was strong enough to go without the drugs for as long as he had. Unless of course he was getting them from someone else, which would be surprising as Harvey rarely left the compound, and when he did, it was only because Rich had made him.

But for now, he was content to think his brother had been hurt badly in some sort of an accident and that was why he’d not been answering him. No, the only reason that came to mind was that he was going through detoxification somewhere and that was why he was unable to reach him. Harvey had a lot to answer for. But Rich was willing to cut him some slack if he returned soon and helped him gather his fold. But then he was as dead as the rest.

Rich cleaned himself up in the pond that he’d come across earlier that day. He needed to go into town this evening and get a few things. One of which was a place to stay. He was tired of staying in the cave and wanted some of his luxuries that he’d had to give up when…well, when Austin came to bother him.

He’d come to the realization that Georgia Reynolds had been having an affair with Force all along. That was why she’d so readily gone with him and now stayed with him. And Force had her in some sort of compulsion mind hold. She no more wanted to stay with Force than she’d wanted to leave Rich’s pack. That’s the reason she’d left, not anything at all to do with her mate being killed.

Rich tried to think how her mate had been killed. There had been a mix-up at one point, but he had no idea what it had been about. Tim, he remembered now, had been with him and he remembered there had been blood. But not a great deal, but… Rich rubbed his forehead and tried to think. But the harder he tried, the more it hurt.

After an hour of lying down, he started into town. He had only a little money, not the sum of money he’d had, though. Again, he had a hard time trying to think where he’d used it. Harvey usually took care of these things and now he was being an ass and Rich didn’t have his help to keep track. He walked the nearly two miles in what he thought was record time at four hours. Rich went into the first shop he came to.

“Burnt it to the ground, they said. Nearly had that lawyer of theirs burned up too. Worst thing in history here since…well, can’t remember when.”

Rich looked over at the two men standing at the counter and tried to listen to what they were saying as well as find some of the items on his list.

“You remember a few years back there, Tom, when that little kid, what was his name, burned that shed up that belonged to the lady on that road at the other end of town?” Rich stared at the two men and when the other nodded, Rich tried to decipher what had been said. “Well, that was bad too, but all that got burned up then was a few hoes and a lawnmower that probably hadn’t started since her kid lit out for greener pastures.”

Rich moved away from them. It was that or he was going to have to have them explain what they were talking about and he’d been trying hard not to make himself known. He could see that there was a diner of sorts in the back, so he went there. Three televisions were blaring some game on them while the one right behind the bar had the news on. And, oh wow, it was about the Force household.

“…earlier this morning and now that the fire crew is gone, you can see what a devastation it is. Connor Force has been on the police department for nearly five years and has recently, along with his brother and another retired police officer, opened their own agency. Mr. Force, along with his family, had this to say about the fire and his loss.”

“I want to thank all those who came out to help the fire department. It was nice to see the community gather together in times of need. I don’t know who would set such a fire, but I’m very glad that I was able to save some of my more precious memories by having them in the car instead of the house.”
He looked right at the camera as he continued.
“I hope that the person who did this is aware of what happens to people who burn other people properties.”

Rich looked around, sure that this Force was right here with him. He wasn’t just a little afraid, but terrified that the male had full knowledge as to who had burned him out. And worst yet, he’d gotten the wrong Force to boot.

Connor Force, not Austin, and a cop too. Now what? Rich moved out of the little diner, suddenly very afraid. He nearly yelped when someone dropped something on the floor beside him. He moved out of the shop completely and was nearly down the street when he realized that he still needed a place to stay. Turning to the first little house he saw, he walked up to the door and opened it.

He decided that he’d either have a place to stay in this house, which he found highly unlikely, or he’d simply make it his house to stay in. Either way, he had a hidey hole. As soon as the elderly woman came from the kitchen drying her hands, Rich decided that he didn’t want to negotiate and reached out to her and snapped her neck. A check of the rest of the house showed that he was alone. There was no one else in the house but a big tom cat, which once he showed it what he was, the thing took off like its tail was on fire.

He turned on the television after taking her body to the basement and stuffing her into the chest freezer. Of course, he made sure that he’d taken all the food out of it first and brought it up the stairs to stash in the smaller freezer. The woman fit nicely and he was thawing out three steaks as he tried to figure out the remote on the television. She didn’t even have cable. And the local news was still going on and on about the game he’d seen at the diner, as well as small snippets of the fire.

After frying up the steaks and baking four potatoes in the microwave, he settled into the big recliner in the living room. As he drifted off, he smiled. Tomorrow, he’d go back to the house he’d burned and see if he could find more information about Austin. Then he’d kill this Connor person as well.

~~~

Dallas watched as Phil was being grilled by Austin. He thought if he asked the vampire once more if he was sure who had burned the house down, he might attack him too. Phil leaned back in his chair and smiled.

“You ask me if I’m sure again and I will give you details about the sex your sister and I had right before I came here. I can go into so many details that—”

“No. Damn it. I just want to be sure. If I go to the council and tell them that I think it was him then they will only tell me to bide my time. I want this prick gone before he hurts someone else.” Austin sat down finally. “You have no idea how badly I feel because Connor lost his house. I taunted the man and now this. This is entirely my fault.”

“No, it wasn’t. Not entirely. The man would have come to you sooner or later. He had to know that you were the men standing there that morning and now he can’t find his brother, and his pack, what little there was of it, is gone as well.” Dallas got up to get a few beers as he continued. “Besides, if you hadn’t gone there and gotten his money, these people would be still suffering, and worse yet, no telling how many more of them would be dead.”

They drank in quiet. Dallas looked over at Phil and smiled. “Would you have really given details of your sex life to him if he hadn’t shut up?” Phil nodded then shook his head. “I thought so. Holly would have staked you.”

“Probably. She can be a bit…violent when the mood strikes her.” Phil laughed. “What about you and Stacy? Any plans for the future yet?”

“We’re still getting to that. You do remember that I have about two hundred people in my house right now, don’t you? We’ve not even been able to…the bed is being used for sleeping and not much more.” Phil laughed and Dallas grinned. “Laugh it up, mosquito. Some of us don’t have the luxury of having a house as big as a hotel.”

“Hey, I offered. But it seems they’re a mite skittish of sleeping in a house with a vampire. I tried to tell them that I wouldn’t feed from them, but no one was willing to try. I’ll have to win them over with my charm, I suppose.”

Dallas rolled his eyes and looked up at Austin when he cleared his throat.

“If you two are done bonding, I’d like to get back to the issue we have here.” Austin sat down again. Dallas wondered if he realized how much he’d been pacing over the past several days. “We have enough money here for several packs. I’m not saying we won’t use some of it to build and to make us a better pack, but I think I’d like to set up some of the money so that it’ll go back to the families that have come from him. Sort of a trust fund or something.”

Phil nodded. “I can set that up for you. You might want to keep some of it back and use it for educational purposes too. College is expensive and you could run a scholarship program for all the pack.”

The phone ringing had them looking at each other then at the phone again. So far lately, there had not been a great deal of good news coming from the thing. Austin got up to answer it and Dallas knew immediately who had called.

“Yes, this is Austin Force.” A pause and then a bark of laughter. “Yes, Sterling, I have your pack and a damn fine one it is too.”

Phil got up, looked at the caller ID, and wrote down the number. When he handed it to Dallas, he nearly burst out laughing. The idiot was calling from the local grocery store that he’d programmed into the phone only yesterday for his mom to get supplies she’d needed.

“I’ll be back. I have to—” A hand on his shoulder from Austin kept Phil from leaving.

“No, Sterling, I’m not afraid of you, but if you harm one more person, human or anyone else, I will be the one hunting and you’ll be the one that’s dead. And know this, a trial will be the least of your problems.” Austin hung up and stood there for several seconds. Neither he nor Phil said a word until Austin went to the refrigerator, took out another bottle of beer, and sat down.

“I could have gone there and taken him out. No one would have been the wiser about it.” Phil looked over at him when Austin didn’t speak. “What’s up with him?”

“He has two of my pack, he said. And since I don’t know if he means mine or his, I can’t reach out to them.”

Dallas was afraid for his mate and reached for her.

“
I am fine. I have something to tell you, but not this way. Where are you now?”
He told her.
“I will arrive shortly. There has been another killing, but not one of us this time. A human woman entered a house she was to clean and a man fitting my father’s description ran out the back. She was only able to tell the police what he looked like before dying from a knife to the chest. It looks as if he was having a meal and has stolen clothes. He left his prints as well as his clothing behind for evidence.”

Dallas told his brother and Phil. “It sounds as if he’s getting sloppy. Not that he has given much indication that he was overly smart anyway, but leaving DNA as well as prints everywhere means he’s not thinking.”

Austin nodded and Phil stood. “I’m going to the house where the woman was killed. Maybe I can find out something more than they have knowledge of. And before you ask, I will only go to the store if I’m sure he’s gone. I want him dead, but if he has people hidden away, I want to find them as badly as you do.”

He was suddenly gone. Dallas looked at his brother and knew the man was suffering. This was overwhelming to him and he wasn’t as much in charge as Austin. When he spoke, Dallas knew that he was nearing his end at dealing with this in the proper channels.

“I want more patrol around the houses as well as the perimeter. This man has gone from being an irritant to being an all-out pain in my ass.” Dallas pulled out a small notebook he always had and began writing things down. “Double up on the houses that we’ve got the other pack in and bring in another doctor. I heard from CJ that a few of the families not used to having meat are sick. Also, see what you can do about getting someone here that can evaluate where the children are educationally.”

Dallas looked up. “Education? Shouldn’t we be worried more on housing and getting this prick taken care of than what grade little Sally should be in?”

He flushed when Austin looked at him angrily. But Austin didn’t yell at him, simply took a deep breath before answering.

“
I
need this. I need something I can control right now and education seems the easiest to take care of. I need to do something that feels like I’m making a difference in their lives and not keeping them in homes with people they don’t know eating food they aren’t familiar with and getting sick.” Austin looked out the window. “A few of the children are staying at our home. One of the little boys was terrified of me when I raised my voice to the television when I was watching a game the other night.”