The Beast in Him (12 page)

And Smitty’d thought Mace had gone overboard by investing in those quiet eight-by-ten pencil drawings of the seaside for their front office. How these wild dogs got anything done, Smitty would never know.

“That’s weird,” Kristan said softly. “Where is everybody?”

It did seem strange, with it not even being six yet, that no one would be around.

Smitty wouldn’t put it past Jessie Ann to run out on him, but he didn’t see the rest of her Pack running with her. Of course, he’d always heard that wild-dog Packs were uncommonly close.

He scented the air and walked to the back of the office, the two pups trailing behind. The back door led to a long hallway that appeared to still be under construction. Jessie’s scent went down the hall, past bathrooms and storage rooms, until he hit another doorway. Smitty pushed through and walked down the ten flights of stairs.

One door led out. A fire exit, he would guess. He could hear their lowered voices stop abruptly when they sensed someone on the other side of the door.

Smitty went right up against it and he could hear whispering from the other side—and sniffing. Grinning at the pups, Smitty loudly barked, “What are y’all doin’?”

First, they screamed in surprise. All of them, male and female, screaming like a bunch of girls. Then they started laughing and didn’t stop. Smitty finally opened the door and found them sitting on the ground, laughing as only dogs could.

Goofy. That was the best word he could come up with for them. Goofy.

“So,” he said to all of them, but with his eyes on Jessie, “anything I can help y’all with?”

CHAPTER 9

Okay, yeah, she’d lied to him. And they both knew it. They both knew she’d pulled a story about someone trying to break into their office through the emergency door out of her flat ass. She’d even done it with a straight face, but she could see it in his eyes. He didn’t believe a word she said. Too bad. He wasn’t Pack. Not her Pack. Therefore, it wasn’t his problem to deal with. And the fact that she wouldn’t tell him anything bugged the living holy hell out of him.

Jess didn’t care, though. She had bigger issues to deal with at the moment.

May had not taken the news of the possible return of her ex very well. Bursting into frustrated, panicked tears, she took off running, heading out the back exit until Danny caught up with her. The five of them then stood in the cold doing their best to calm her down. The sock puppet seemed to help. Everyone loved Mr. Wizard.

After that, they’d discussed strategy and next steps. Informing the whole Pack at this stage was a bad move since it risked moving through the puppy rumor mill like lightning and ending up in Kristan’s lap. So only the five of them would know at this point. They’d bring the rest of the Pack up to speed if necessary.

Now, however, they had a nosey wolf to deal with. A nosey wolf who knew she was lying. Toe-to-toe they stood as he quizzed her, trying to trip her up so he could get the truth. She didn’t trip up. She’d learned to lie back when the Pack still stole diapers and baby food for a newly arrived Kristan. Lying to protect her Pack didn’t bother Jess, so if Smitty hoped to see some kind of guilt in her eyes, he might as well stop looking. She felt none.

Eventually, when he seemed to realize his questions weren’t confusing her in the least, Smitty grabbed the cell phone hanging off his jeans pocket and flipped it open.

Frowning, Jess asked, “Who are you calling?”

“Mace. If people are trying to break in, and that is what you’re telling me, right?” She nodded, even as they glared at each other. “Then we need to get this place locked down tight. Tonight.”

“Locked down?” Locked down sounded expensive. “I don’t remember saying we’d pay for that.”

“You didn’t. But you will.”

Jess’s eyes narrowed and she reached out to twist his nipples, but May slapped her hands down.

As always, May tried to diffuse the situation. With false cheeriness, she asked her daughter, who’d been watching the power play between Jess and Smitty with obvious eagerness, “And what are y’all doin’ here?”

Kristan grabbed Johnny’s jacket and yanked him forward. “Johnny has something to tell you guys.”

But Johnny looked like he wanted to be a million miles away from here.

“Go on,” Kristan urged. “Tell her.”

With a sigh, Johnny pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Jess. She almost dreaded taking it. Not surprising when most envelopes from any of the kids usually came from their school and involved something they’d done or didn’t do or said or should never had said.

Without looking at the envelope, Jess slipped the wrinkled but high-quality paper out and quickly read it.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Johnny. “You got in.”

“Wait. What?” May grabbed the letter and the others leaned over to read it. “He not only got in,” she finally said, “he got a full scholarship.”

Refusing to look at any of them, Johnny gave a dismissive shrug. “It’s just a summer program.”

“You got in,” Jess said again. Then she charged him.

“Okay. See you when you get here.” Smitty closed his phone and clipped it back to his jeans. He turned to tell Jessie that Mace and the rest of his team would be along in the next thirty minutes when he found her, May, and Sabina all over the kid. Arms around him, hugging him. Part of him started to get kind of pissed about it until the kid looked at him. And he saw it in the boy’s eyes—a definite plea for help.

He walked over and could hear Jessie saying, “I’m so proud of you.”

“We all are,” May added.

Johnny looked like he’d give anything to be able to wrench the women off him and make a run for it. Of course that would never work. They were fast. They’d just catch him.

“Mace is headed this way,” he said to Jessie’s back. “He said he’s not surprised he has to step in and help y’all. Seein’ as security is not your strong suit.”

It took a second for Jess to realize what he’d said; then she pushed Johnny away and turned her complete attention on Smitty. May stepped between them, as always the peacemaker, and Sabina grinned, looking forward to a good fight.

“He said what?” Jessie demanded.

And behind their backs Johnny mouthed, “Thank you.”

Jess had no idea how this spiraled out of control. She expected one big-haired lion, not an entire team of shifters taking over her building and them.

Mace kept walking into her office and asking her to authorize things. When she’d ask, “Authorize what?” he’d give her that annoyed cat look and she’d sign.

She sure was paying a lot for telling one lie.

Smitty walked into her office, leaning against the doorjamb. “You told Mitch you thought there might be another way in.”

Jess let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

“Somethin’ wrong, Jessie Ann?” Smitty asked, sounding way smugger than seemed necessary. “Something you need to tell me before this goes any further?”

Dropping her hands to her desk, Jess forced a smile. “Nope, nothing to tell.”

Jess stood and led Smitty through the office and down the long hallway that led to the bathrooms and the emergency exit. She took him into one of the rooms that held secure servers. With his help, they pulled aside a metal case holding old computer parts and crouched down next to a vent.

She shrugged. “It’s not huge but—”

“It’s big enough.”

Using one hand, he took hold of the grate blocking the vent and gave it an experimental tug. A tug that pulled out the grate and four inches of drywall all around the perimeter.

Smitty glanced at her. “Oops.”

“Oops? The best you can come up with is oops?”

“I forgot about my mighty strength.”

Snorting, feeling the strain between them from the past two hours lift, Jess playfully pushed Smitty’s shoulder and she might as well have been pushing up against a brick wall.

“You would have had to close this off anyway,” he said, placing the grate and drywall aside.

“Don’t we need vents... you know, to breathe and all?”

“Yes, Miss Smarty Ass. But there are ways to make sure they are secure.”

“Did you just call me Miss Smarty Ass?”

“That’s what you are.” Smitty pulled a small flashlight from his back pocket and leaned down to look into the vent. “Is there actually something here, in this building, that someone would feel the need to break in?”

“Computer equipment, I guess. But it would take a major effort to get the desktops out of here since each one is locked to its desk. And we don’t allow anyone to use laptops in the office except Pack. And we take ours wherever we go.”

“Hhhm. Then why would someone try and break in here, Jessie Ann? Since it don’t look like y’all have much to steal that isn’t locked down.”

She didn’t answer him and he wasn’t shocked. Smitty knew when someone was lying to him, and Jessie Ann was lying her cute little ass off. Something was wrong. Really wrong. And the whole “locking down the office thing” was merely a way to push her hand. He had no idea she’d go through with it. As soon as she realized how much this would cost her, Smitty thought for sure she or one of her friends would put a stop to it. He’d tried to trip up each of them as this progressed, finally getting to meet the people so close to Jessie, including “dancing dog Phil.” But they kept their mouths shut and signed whatever his team put in front of them until Sabina muttered something about putting Smitty’s company on retainer.

Stubborn little SOBs, weren’t they?

Letting out a tired breath, Jessie sat down on the floor, her back resting against the wall. “I should have gotten some coffee. Now I’m too tired to get up and get any.”

“Want me to get you some?”

She gave a faint smile. “No, but thanks for offering.”

Clicking off the flashlight and closing the door, Smitty sat down next to her. His leg brushed against hers and he felt her body tense the slightest bit.

“All right, Jessie Ann, cough it up. What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing.” And if he didn’t know her, he’d probably believe her.

“Woman, you are lying to me. I can’t help you if you lie to me.”

“I didn’t ask for your goddamn help.”

Smitty leaned forward, resting his arms on his raised knees. “I’m fixin’ to get mad, Jessie.”

“You’re fixin’ to get mad?”

“Yeah.”

“Why don’t you just get mad?”

“I’m not there yet. But I will be if you don’t start talking to me.”

Jessie pushed herself to her feet. “I have nothing to say.”

He watched that cute little ass walk across the room to the door. Was that what she’d been planning to wear out tonight with him? Ripped black jeans with gray thermal leggings underneath, a Chicago Blackhawks hockey jersey that reached to her knees, and white high-top sneakers.

Maybe she was trying a little too hard not to make an effort? Although now all he wanted to do was get those clothes off her and see what the hell she was hiding.

Why did she insist on driving him crazy? Well, hell... two canines could play this game of tug.

She had her hands on the door handle when he asked, “Does this have anything to do with the kiss?”

And he almost felt real bad when that door smacked her right in the face.

Jess gripped her forehead and spun around to stare at Smitty. “What kiss?”

He slowly got to those big wolf feet. “The kiss we almost had sixteen years ago.”

“Why would anything have to do with that kiss that never happened?”

Smitty gave her an indulgent smile. “Now, Jessie Ann, we both know how you felt about me.”

“How I—”

“And maybe you still feel that way so you’re afraid to get too close to me. To trust me. To—now, Jessie, let’s not start throwing things.”

Jess held an old 60-gig external hard drive in her hand that she’d grabbed from one of the shelves. The thing weighed a ton. It would cave his head in quite nicely.

“I’m just trying to find out the truth.”

“And you’re doing that how?” She didn’t want to talk about that night. The night he’d pushed her away. Always a late bloomer, sixteen-year-old Jess still hadn’t had her first kiss by then mostly because she’d wanted that kiss to come from Smitty. But he’d hurt her that night when he pushed her away. Not physically, of course, but emotionally her young, way-too-romantic heart had been crushed.

Even now, sixteen years later, she still didn’t want to have this discussion. She could already feel her cheeks heating from embarrassment, remembering how she wasn’t cute or hot enough to get a drunk boy to kiss her. What girl couldn’t manage something that simple from the weak? Apparently she couldn’t.

Already she could feel her embarrassment turning to anger. No, she didn’t want this discussion. She didn’t want to hop down memory lane with Bobby Ray Smith. Not now, not ever.

“You know, Jessie, I’m of the mind if we get that kiss out of the way, maybe you could focus on the bigger issues right in front of you.”

Huh. Look at that. Her leash just snapped.

Good thing he was fast because that heavy piece of metal came right for his head. Smitty stepped to one side and it went sailing by.

He stared at her. “Woman, have you lost your mind?”

“No, I think I’m getting it back.” Her hand reached out and she blindly grabbed some other hunk of metal. Computer equipment it looked like. “Yeah, I’m feeling better each second.” She pulled her arm back like a pro baseball player and Smitty took the three long steps over to her, grabbing hold of the thing in her hand and wrenching it away from her.

“Jessie Ann, calm down!”

“Go to hell,” she snarled as she reached for that damn shelf again. Everything on it was a potential missile to take out his head.

Slamming down the thing already in his hand, Smitty reached out and grabbed Jessie by the back of the neck. Without thought, only wolf instinct, he yanked her over to him, determined to get her under control. To get her to submit. That’s what Alpha Males did, and it didn’t even occur to him that Jessie wasn’t part of his Pack. Hell, she was barely part of his life. Just a blip in his week, really.