Kadenburg Revealed (The Kadenburg Shifters Series, Book 4) (15 page)

But Dimitri needed to be protected too.

“Hey,” Rutley pushed himself up from his seat and moved around the table until he was standing behind his alpha.  He timidly placed his hands on Dimitri’s rock hard shoulders and squeezed them in a comforting manner.  “I won’t let him lay a finger on you either,” he promised as his lips lightly brushed against Dimitri’s ear.  Euphoria soared through him from their close proximity-but the truth was that Rutley couldn’t help himself sometimes.  No matter how much distance he tried to put between them, he always found his way back.  It was like an invisible tether that kept them linked.

“I believe you.” Dimitri said in a throaty whisper.

“Good.” Rutley turned his head and caught a whiff of Dimitri’s scent.  Sometimes it was too much.  Sometimes it wasn’t enough.  He loved that smell more than anything else in the world.  Well, except for one other.....

Dimitri was reading his thoughts and a low growl sounded from deep in his throat.  Rutley immediately pulled away from him and silently cursed himself for thinking of Kia again.  When was he going to learn his lesson?  He really did try NOT to think about her.

“You’re fighting a losing battle,” Dimitri muttered as he glared at him.  He stood abruptly and sent the kitchen chair skidding across the floor as he grunted.  “It’ll never be that simple and we both know it, Rut. Excuse me.”

Rutley opened his mouth to say something-ANYTHING-to make Dimitri stay, but his alpha was already out the front door and it slammed so hard that it sounded like a shotgun going off.  Rutley winced.

“Good going, Genius,” he muttered beneath his breath.  “You get one step closer and deliberately fling yourself twenty steps back every damned time.”

He really needed to get over Kia Fallon.  Soon.

———————————

H
ow was he going to make it through the work day?  Greg had asked himself that very question at least twenty times as he put away another box of mayonnaise containers.  He was trying to keep his mind off things by offering to put away the leftover boxes form truck day, but he wasn’t doing a very good job of pushing away thoughts of Louisa.

She’ll never forgive me,
he thought sadly. 
And it wasn’t even my fault!  It’s not like I wanted to kiss Amber.  That stupid....

The bell dinged from the diner area and he knew they had a customer, which was a miracle in itself given how bad the weather was.  He didn’t really feel like dealing with the public but he knew his father was out in the storage building.  Awesome.

Forcing himself back behind the counter, Greg put on the biggest, also fakest, smile he could as he rested his hands against the countertop.  “What can I get for y—-Natalie?”

Presley Goult’s aunt was standing near the door with her arms wrapped around herself.  Her bottom lip quivered as she gazed at him and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know she was upset.  Greg released a mental sigh as he straightened up to his full height.

Aw man, this’ll be fun.

It only took a few short strides to be in front of her and Greg studied her curiously.  What was wrong with her?  Why was she crying in the first place?  Had something happened?

“Natalie?” He repeated in a softer voice.  “Are you okay?”

“No,” she said quietly with a shake of her head.  “I am so beyond okay right now, Greg.  Is your mother around?”

“Um....no.  She had to go do some Christmas shopping and probably won’t be back here until around nine tonight.  Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No,” Natalie shook her head fervently as she sucked in a trembling breath.  “I just needed to talk to somebody and Mrs. Bamey isn’t home either.  I guess everybody’s out doing that last minute Christmas shopping.”

He heard the bitter laugh she released and for some reason, he knew he could relate to it.  How many times had he needed someone but everyone was too busy going about their normal routine?  He swiped his tongue over his bottom lip before shrugging his shoulders.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“With you?” Natalie stared at him as if he were crazy.  “No offense, Gregory but you’re just a boy.”

A boy? Who is she calling a boy?!
Gregory stood to his full height and stared down at her, arching a single eyebrow.

“I’m sorry.  That’s not what I meant,” she frowned.  “It’s just very personal and it’s a girl thing, okay?  When your mother gets back will you ask her to call me?”

“Sure.....”

“Okay.  Thanks, Greg.  I’ll see you later then.  Bye.”

He watched as the pretty brunette took her leave and shook his head slowly.  Boy? HA.  He was going to be nineteen soon.  What did age have to do with it anyway?  He easily passed off as a twenty-something.  Even the fire department gave him a hard time over his age.....

He was lost in his thoughts for a few moments and then the sweetest scent filled his nostrils.  He inhaled as much of that smell as he could and felt his heart flutter.  Louisa was nearby.  This was his chance.  He needed to talk to her.

His diner duties were soon forgotten as he jogged out into the winter air with nothing more than a t-shirt on.  He glanced one way and then the other.  Where was she?

——————————

“H
ow stupid.” Louisa mumbled as she stomped her boots, or rather Presley’s boots, into the deep snow as she made her way down the empty sidewalk.  Was Davey Berdine insane?  How could it be so easy for him to avoid what had happened?  How was she supposed to ignore the fact a young woman was dead and her killers were getting away with it?

I –have- to do something.

But what?  She’d promised him she wouldn’t go to the sheriff until after the New Year.  Kadenburg was a very small town and surely to goodness someone would report the girl missing before Christmas morning.  Was she even from Kadenburg?

I need answers.

Boy did she ever need answers.  She was surprised that Davey didn’t want to help her more.  Yes, she understood that they needed to protect both Dimitri and Rutley from Sheriff Holter, but couldn’t they find a way to do so and still report the murder of an innocent girl?

“Louisa!”

Oh my Urseth, why?
  Louisa felt her heart drop into her stomach and float helplessly around atop a shamble of nerves as she bit hard at her lower lip.  She knew that voice and she knew he was following her. 

“Louisa,” Greg repeated as he jogged up beside her and stopped.  “Hey.”

“Hey.” She said flatly.  If he expected her to speak to him then he definitely had another thing coming; she had nothing to say to the likes of an idiot-head such as Gregory Kress. 

“You’re in a hurry, huh?” He laughed.  “Where’s the fire?”

Ugh. Firefighter humor.  She rolled her eyes and then glanced up at him, noting how stupidly handsome his stupid face looked.  It would be so much easier to hate him if he were a smidge less attractive. 

“There isn’t a fire,” she promised as she hugged her arms around herself and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.  “I am in the middle of something quite important.”

“Important, huh?” He raked his long fingers through his blonde hair and offered her a gentle smile.  It was a smile that said ‘please forgive me’, but she wasn’t going to.  It wouldn’t be that easy.  “Anything I can help you with?”

“No.  Go away, Greg.” She forced herself to take a step forward.  And then another.  She quickened her pace to put distance between them but she wasn’t foolish enough to think Greg couldn’t catch her.

“Please give me a chance to explain myself to you,” Greg pleaded as his hot fingers curled around the sleeve of her coat.  “Please, Louisa.”

Ugh. I want to punch him in the face.
She narrowed her eyes and turned her head to stare up at him.  Her anger was already subsiding as his sad blue eyes burrowed their way into her aching heart.  Damn him.

“I’m quite skilled with a bow and arrow.” Louisa said lowly.

Greg’s eyebrows shot up on his forehead as he blinked.  “Um.....are you threatening me?”

You’re absolutely correct.
  She nodded firmly.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t try to shoot me, Lou.  I just want five minutes.  Will you give me that?” He tipped his head to the side and licked his lips.  She watched the movement of his tongue before it disappeared into his mouth once more.  Stupid man.

“Two minutes,” she shrugged. “And then you have to swear you’ll leave me alone so I can get back to what I need to do.  Do we have a deal?”

“Deal.” He replied eagerly as he thrust his hand out for her to shake.

Oh no.  Did she really want to shake his hand?  Did she want to touch him?  Touching him meant feeling things and feeling things would only lead to premature forgiveness; Greg hadn’t earned any forgiveness from her yet.

She hesitantly lifted her gloved hand and placed it in his.  Louisa felt the liquid heat surging through her veins as his fingers wrapped around hers.  She met his gaze and watched his eyes become tender.  Did he have to look at her like that?

“I didn’t kiss her.” Greg promised as he kept his fingers locked tighter around hers.  Even if she wanted to pull away from him it wouldn’t work out well in her favor.  She didn’t believe Greg was the type of man who would force her to do anything she didn’t want to, but Greg was also the kind of man who fought for what he wanted in life.  Deep down Louisa knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.  That’s why everything had hurt so much.  Didn’t he see that?

“My eyes beg to differ,” Louisa mumbled as she dropped her gaze to the snow covered sidewalk.  “It looked like you were sucking her face off.”

“What?” There was a tone of disgust in Greg’s voice as he stepped closer.  His masculine scent hit her like a ton of bricks and Louisa’s heart went haywire.  “I wasn’t kissing her, Lou.  She kissed me-you have to believe me on that.  We broke up ages ago.  I don’t want anything to do with her, I promise.  She just laid a big one on me and you saw it before I had a chance to explain.”

“So that was Amber, huh?” Louisa felt jealousy flaring in her abdomen and it was one of the most uncomfortable sensations she’d ever experienced.  She really did like Greg a lot and seeing him with another woman was almost more devastating than learning of her mate-to-be’s fate.  Almost.

“How do you know about Amber?” Greg frowned and shook his head.  “Never mind.  Lou, she’s my past.  That’s all she’s been for a very long time. But you...” He released her hand and lifted both of his to cup her cheeks.  He tilted her head back enough for their eyes to meet and there was that damned smile again.  He needed to stop doing that.

She felt dizzy as he leaned in and brushed the tip of his nose against hers.  His close proximity was enough to kill her, let alone the affection he always displayed towards her.  She desperately wanted to believe he was telling the truth......was he?

“Lou, listen to me,” Greg murmured as his fingers traced through her long dark hair.  His blunt nails touched against her scalp and shivers ran up her spine as she sighed.  Everything Greg did was capable of melting her; everything Greg said could make her knees turn to jelly.  “I only care about you like that.  Do you understand?”

“But you were kissing her....” Louisa said weakly as tears welled up in her eyes.  Even the bitter cold couldn’t snuff out the heat of her tears as they began to slide down her cheeks.  Her fingers touched the hem of his t-shirt and she sighed.  “It’s so hard to erase that from my mind, Greg.  I can’t seem to forget it.”

“I’m sorry,” he nuzzled his nose against her cheek and judging by his deep intake of breath-he was sniffing her.  “I would never hurt you on purpose, Louisa.  You have saved me so many times and I can never repay you for that.  I wouldn’t do anything to make you cry....” He pulled back to wipe at her tears, frowning.  “Please don’t cry.”

“I don’t mean to cry,” she insisted with a small sniffle.  “It just hurt me.  I thought that we had something special and then to see you with her-and I get it-she kissed you,”
that witch!
“But I feel like my heart broke all over again......I care so much for you.”

“And I care so much for
you
,” Greg stated huskily as he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her closer.  “Louisa, I’ve never felt this way about anyone in my entire life.  You are the most beautiful, perfect being I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing and I’d be a damned idiot if I ever threw away the chance of having you.”

Oh, Urseth.  He was definitely trying to kill her.  Louisa’s entire body seemed to go numb and on high alert at the same time.  Greg’s chiseled chest was crushing against hers and his muscular arms kept her as close as possible as their gazes locked.  The heat, desire, and affection he harbored for her was more than evident in his sapphire hues as he spoke in a lower voice.

“I’m in love with you.  I think I’ve been in love with you since you found me in the woods.  I don’t want anyone else the world has to offer because they aren’t you.  The only person I want to kiss is
you
.  Do you understand that?”

“Oh.” Was all she could find to say as her breath escaped between them in a light puff of smoke.  Her cheeks were on fire and her heart was pounding faster than a horse’s hooves against the ground during the Kentucky Derby.  Did Greg really just say what she thought he said?

“Say something,” Greg laughed nervously as he searched her face.  “I just told you I’m in love with you, Lou and all you can say is ‘oh’?  Did she really ruin my chances with you?  Is there no future for us?”

He wants a future with me?
  Louisa’s chest fluttered and tightened as her innards coiled and tangled together.  This was all she could ever hope for, really.  When her mate-to-be died she was certain a second chance at happiness would never find her, but when she met Greg he gave her that small sliver of hope back.  He was telling her the truth about Amber-she could feel that in the very depths of her soul.  If only she’d listened sooner.

“Lou, please....”

Louisa tiptoed to press her lips against his in a forgiving kiss but it quickly turned into something much more.  Greg’s lips claimed hers in a thrilling manner as his arms locked around her.  She felt as he lifted her off the ground and the world disappeared around them.  All that existed was Gregory Kress and the world shattering kiss he was giving to her, the woman he wanted to be with for the rest of his life.