Things That Go Bump in the Night IV (18 page)

Char ended up beneath him under the table. She arched her back and laced her legs around his waist as he entered her with a roar. She lost track of time and place as he took her again and again, forcing her into such an exquisite release she could barely breathe afterward.

After Rik found his own satisfaction they lay in a boneless heap on the floor. She hugged him tight, only to find a chunk of strawberry smashed on his shoulder.

She giggled and held up the massacred fruit so he could see it.

“So, how do you feel about lunch?”

105

J.C. Wilder

Rik stood with his hands on his hips as he surveyed the damage they’d created.

Drying fruit juice coated the table and floor along with smashed pieces of fruit, shattered plates and melting dollops of whipped cream.

He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

Char was in the shower singing an old disco hit about survival and it was wildly off-key. He could imagine her lush curves slick with soap and water, her rosy nipples hardened from the stroke of the washcloth. He could make quick work of this mess, then join in her in—

Before he could move, a knock sounded on her apartment door. He frowned and his hand automatically went to his knife only to realize it wasn’t there. He cursed when also he realized he didn’t have his boots on.

Knowing that Lyn would be coming for him, though it was doubtful he’d just knock on the front door, Rik ducked into the bedroom. He found the knife and tucked it into the back of his pants.

The knock sounded again, louder and definitely more impatient this time. Rik approached the door and was surprised when it opened and a large man stepped into the entry.

Human, no doubt.

Big, no question.

“Who the fuck are you?” The stranger’s pale gaze moved over Rik, sizing him up.

“Who’s asking?” Rik crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance.

The other man’s fists clenched then released. “You’d better start talking,
friend
.”

Rik offered him a sharp smile that had cowed many humans over the years. “I’m not your friend and you’ll do well to remember that.”

The man shrugged. “Works for me.”

Cheeky bastard.

“Who sent you?” Rik asked.

The man looked confused. “What the fuck are you talking about? No one sent me.”

He leaned to the side and tried to look down the hall past Rik. “Where is she?”

Rik moved to the side and blocked his view. “Not gonna happen, friend. Why don’t you just turn around and leave before I knock some of those pretty teeth from your mouth? No matter what he’s paying you, it isn’t enough for new dental work.”

106

Shadow Hunter

The man only looked irritated and he cracked his knuckles. “You might try, but it won’t happen.” He leaned the other way and got a clear view into the kitchen. His eyes widened then narrowed when he saw the mess, and he started toward Rik.

Rik braced himself. While his attacker appeared to be human and it wouldn’t take much for a were-cat to kill him, he’d just as soon avoid that. Women had a tendency to get a little touchy when people were slain in their home.

“You bastard,” the stranger snarled and swung.

Rik barely managed to avoid the blow as he feinted to the left. The other man overextended and Rik moved to shove him against the wall. To his surprise, the stranger slipped from his grasp and shoved backwards, and Rik felt himself falling.

Tricky bastard.

Feeling a grudging sense of admiration, Rik gained his feet and caught the look of surprise on the other man’s face. Cats were fast and nimble; it was a definite edge in a fight.

The stranger slammed into him and caught him around the waist, propelling him backward into the kitchen. His bare feet slid on the smashed remains of breakfast and together they fell onto the table. The flimsy piece of furniture disintegrated under four hundred pounds of enraged male muscle.

Rik landed on the bottom, and with a deft twist he overpowered the human and flipped the other man beneath him. Drawing his knife he grabbed the man’s thick dark hair and wrenched his head back before he pressed the knife against the base of his throat.

“I’ll ask you one more time, who sent you?” Rik ground out.

Behind him he heard the thud of bare feet approaching.

Char.

“Oh my God, what happened?” She skidded to a halt near them. “Why are you holding a knife to my brother’s throat?”

Rik looked down at the man and noted the resemblance. They had the same reddish-brown hair, and the shape of his eyes was similar to Char’s. He looked up at her.

“The cop?” he asked.

She bit her lip and nodded.

“Great…just great.” Rik slid the knife into the back of his pants and stood. “Sorry about that.” He held his hand out to the man on the floor.

Char’s brother gave him a disgusted look and ignored the offered hand. No wonder the man had been tough to bring down; he probably had several years of street experience to back him up. Being a cop in New Orleans wasn’t for wimps.

“Who is this freak?” The man brushed at the smashed fruit staining his shirt.

“Steph, this is Rik. A friend,” Char said.

107

J.C. Wilder

Steph propped his hands on his hips and glared at his sister. “Get some clothes on,”

he snapped. “You’re practically naked.”

Rik grinned when he noticed Char’s robe was stuck to her damp body, and through the cotton, he could see her erect nipples. If it were his sister standing there dripping wet, he’d probably be surly, too.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m a grownup and you’ve just busted your way into my home. If you don’t like the way I dress, then don’t come here again.”

“I didn’t bust into anything. I have a key, remember?” He waved a hand at his sister and looked away. “So get dressed and I’ll speak with your
friend
while we’re waiting.”

Char glanced at Rik then back to her brother. “Fine. But if I hear anyone throwing a punch or breaking any more of my furniture, I’ll smack both of your heads together.

You,” she pointed at Rik, “leave your knife in your pants, and as for you,” she scowled at her brother, “make yourself useful, Steph, and help Rik clean this mess up.” With that she turned and stalked off, her butt clearly defined through the robe.

Rik licked his lips. She had the perfect backside. Plump and sweetly rounded—

“Stop staring at my sister like that.”

Rik glanced at Steph. “I’ll stop when your sister objects, not you.”

He grunted and grabbed one end of the splintered table while Steph took the other.

Together they carried the remains out to the dumpster behind the apartment. As they were walking back, the other man spoke first.

“You were expecting trouble?” Steph asked.

“It’s always a possibility.” Rik started picking up the cutlery and the few plates that had survived their sexual Armageddon.

“Does it involve my sister?” Steph fished the broom and mop out of the closet.

“It could,” Rik said. “We had a little trouble at The Chamber last night and some threats were made.”

“So you’re saying I need to keep an eye on her?” Steph began sweeping the mess into a pile in the center of the floor.

“If I’m not around, yes, that would be a good idea.”

“I hope you’re not going to be around much longer,” Steph grunted.

Rik couldn’t help but grin. “If she were my sister, I’d probably feel the same way.”

The other man propped his arm on the broom. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” He dumped the trash into the can.

“Military,” Rik lied. It was his usual response to the question. The Shadow Hunters were a military, of sorts. “So you’ll keep an eye on your sister?” He filled up the mop bucket with hot water and detergent.

“You don’t even have to ask.” He put the broom away and Rik started to mop the floor. “How long is this threat viable?”

108

Shadow Hunter

“Hopefully only twenty-four hours at the most. I have some friends in the neutralization business.”

“I should kill you for getting her mixed up in something dangerous.” Steph leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You don’t have to. I’ve kicked myself enough for letting her get tangled up in it as it is,” Rik said. “I don’t take my relationship with Char lightly and I won’t compromise her safety for my own.”

A grudging look of admiration came into Steph’s eyes. “My sister is a gentle soul and she doesn’t need to get tangled up in something that could cost her her life.”

“It’s too late, she’s already neck-deep, but I’m doing my damnedest to get her out of it.”

“Does she realize she’s in danger?”

“No.”

“Let’s keep it that way for now.”

* * * * *

Satisfied that Char was in good hands, Rik left before she came back downstairs.

Cowardly, yes, but he needed some time to gather his thoughts and get cleaned up. He turned on his cell phone to see several voicemail messages waiting for him.

The first was from Trey, cursing him because his cell phone was turned off and demanding Rik call at once. The second was from Marcus, asking him to call as soon as possible, but it was the final one was the one that set him on edge.

It was from Alexandre Saint-Juste, the head of the Council of Elders, requesting Rik call him after dark that evening.

Glancing at the clock in his car, he saw he had several hours before he could make that call and he opted to contact Marcus instead. Marcus would be much more fun to deal with than Trey.

The other man picked up on the first ring.

“Where y’at?” Marcus asked.

“Headed home to clean up and change my clothes.”

The other man chuckled. “Was she worth the fight?”

“It’s not like that.”

There was silence on the other end. “So that’s how it is.”

Rik ignored him. “What else is going on?”

“Let’s see, I bought a new handgun and it might come in handy, as Lyn is calling for your blood.”

“That’s no surprise,” Rik said.

109

J.C. Wilder

“No, but I found out there’s a warrant out for his arrest in New York City. It seems he killed his human girlfriend, Serena. They found her body several days ago.”

Rik felt a momentary pang for the young woman. She might have been in cahoots with Lyn to deceive Rik but she didn’t deserve to die for her bad judgment.

“So the cops are looking for him?” Rik asked. “Good.”

“And some Shadow Hunters. Trey reported back to Saint-Juste last night and it seems he wasn’t happy with the latest turn of events.”

“Imagine that,” Rik muttered.

Marcus ignored him. “Rumor has it that you’re being called before the Council for your actions.”

“Oh yeah, this is shaping up to be a great day,” Rik said.

Marcus chuckled. “With luck, the Hunters will have the wolf before nightfall, and the Council will probably do no more than slap you on the wrist.”

“After they gnaw on my ass you mean?” Rik turned into his driveway. “It could be worse, I suppose.”

“Yeah, Lyn could outfox the Hunters, grab your girl and start the war he hungers for.”

“That isn’t going to happen.” Rik threw the car into park. “After I’ve changed clothes I’m going after him myself.”

There was a moment of silence. “Going back in the Hunter biz, are you?”

“Just one more for the road, my friend.”

110

Shadow Hunter

Char lay curled in her bed, watching the moonlight drift across her room. She wasn’t sure why her brother had insisted upon staying the night. The last time he’d stayed here was when his apartment had been painted two years ago. Now she remembered why she’d resisted him staying here; even with the door shut, she could hear him snoring in the living room.

She rolled over and stuffed her pillow under her cheek. The burning question for her was why Rik had left without saying goodbye. Steph had assured her he’d done nothing, and Rik had left only a hastily scrawled note that stated he’d be in touch. One little note was no reassurance that he actually would contact her.

She sighed. She wished she could be the love ‘em and leave ‘em type but she wasn’t wired like that. She was sentimental and she teared up over romantic movies, so it should be no surprise that she’d fallen head over heels for Rik. It gnawed at her that he’d left without speaking to her. Maybe she’d made it too easy for him or maybe he wasn’t interested in anything other than wild sex on the kitchen floor.

She forced her eyes closed. No, he liked her, she was sure of it. They’d laughed and made love on her kitchen floor, the table and her bedroom. Surely he’d contact her sooner or later. No one could have made love with such zeal while feeling nothing for her.

She couldn’t have dozed for long when the warm, familiar feel of Rik wrapping himself around her woke her.

“Rik.” Her voice was thick with sleep.

“Yeah, babe, it’s me.”

“Where did you go?” she whispered.

“I had to deal with some business.” He kissed her shoulder. “Sorry I had to run out like that, but it was important.”

Relief blossomed in her chest and she laced her hands with his. “It’s okay this one time, but don’t try that again. A girl has her reputation to worry about.”

He chuckled and she shushed him.

“Steph is out there.” She pointed at the door.

“Mmm, I knew that. It sounds like he’s sawing you a new kitchen table.”

Char burst into giggles when Steph gave a particularly noisy snore. “He’s always snored like that. He claims it’s why he hasn’t gotten married.”

“Hmm.” He covered her breast with one hand. “That and the fact he has the face of a carp?”

111

J.C. Wilder

“Not hardly. Steph is very handsome, the women love him.” Her voice grew faint as he stroked her nipple between his fingertips. She arched into his touch and he tweaked her other nipple.

“You sleep naked,” he whispered.

“Not normally.”

She parted her legs and he slid his cock between them. What was it about this man?