Touch of Darkness (19 page)

Bryan started to protest, but I rolled right over him. “It may not seem important to you, but it was to them: important enough that they were ready to kill you and Father Raphael to prevent word getting out.”

“But we don’t know why.” No self-pity there, just good old-fashioned frustration.

“No, we don’t. But once people start looking someone’s bound to find out.” Tom slid his arm around me, giving me a quick hug. Apparently he thought I was doing okay. Bully for me. “And as for the jail thing, well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“What!” Joe was so startled he almost didn’t see the car in front of us stop. He hit the brakes violently enough that the tires squealed in protest and we were all jerked back by our seat belts.

“I’ve killed people, Joe. Yeah, they were people with fangs, but I killed them.” My eyes met his in the rearview mirror for a brief second before he had to look away. “I didn’t go to jail for killing Larry because the queens cleaned up the evidence. It was part of the deal they made to save Monica. Technically I didn’t kill Monica, she died of natural causes and shock when I fought off being infested. I killed an attacker in an alley on the 16th Street Mall. No, I didn’t know he would die when I broke off his fangs, but I had a pretty good idea. Again, the Thrall cleaned up the evidence.”

The three of them were listening so intently I could barely hear them breathe. Bryan’s expression held so many emotions I couldn’t even guess what he was thinking. But I was on a roll now, I’d had three days of solitude to think things over, get my head on straight. I’d come to some fairly unpleasant conclusions. I needed to talk it out. These three, my family, were the people I most trusted in the world, so I plowed on. “Amanda—Amanda’s where I really started pushing it, and the police took notice. If she’d actually died up in the mountains there would’ve been hell to pay. As it was, when she came after me in Denver it was pure self-defense, and there were witnesses, including a decorated veteran cop, so they let it slide.”

“Then there was Samantha Greeley.” Joe flinched at the mention of her name, and I saw his jaw tighten into a hard line at the memory of the torture she’d inflicted on him. “I still don’t know how I caught a break on that one. Maybe it’s the whole Die Hard/ she-was-a-terrorist thing that made them decide not to prosecute, but I should’ve seen some jail time for that one.”

“You can’t tell me you’re sorry,” Bryan said.

I gave a derisive snort. “Hell, no! Of course not. I did what I had to do, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But there are always consequences. Three days’ jail time and some public humiliation? After all that I’ve done? That’s cupcakes.” I sighed. “We’re all alive and more or less intact. I do hate that they killed the priest.” My voice caught, and I shuddered at the thought of him being buried alive. I’m a little bit claustrophobic. Just the thought of watching someone pour dirt over you while you lie there helpless gave me a bad case of the heebie-jeebies. And what they did to Mike—

My eyes closed and I felt the tears well. “Maybe the courts will forgive me, but there’s still someone else I’ll have to answer to eventually.”

Tom sensed it, or maybe he smelled the fear on me, because he held me a little tighter, trying to reassure me. I slid my hand up his arm, and his strength gave me the strength to continue. “But that wasn’t your fault either. They did it, not you. And the information you got for them may give Mike and the church the ammunition they need to prevent even worse things from happening.”

“You think so?” Bryan’s voice wasn’t sullen any more, but it didn’t sound as if he believed me.

“I think it gives us a chance. Before, we had nothing.”

“I agree.” Joe pulled the SUV into the driveway and put it in park. “And I’ve got to tell you. I’m proud of you.” He coughed, and gave Bryan an awkward punch on the shoulder. “Do it again and I’ll kill you myself, and I’m still working through a lot of things. But, yeah, mostly I figured out I’m proud of you.” He looked at me strongly, and I realized the admission wasn’t just meant for Bryan. I was in there too, unspoken, but real. It was a very guy way of interacting, but it worked. In fact, I think those few words knocked more of the tension out of all three of us than anything a high-priced therapist could have said. Figures. The two of them climbed out of the car, going to join Mary who’d stepped into the doorway wearing an apron liberally decorated with what looked like tomato sauce. I started to follow, but Tom held me back with a touch.

“This may be the only privacy we get for the next couple of days.”

He was right, of course. I love my family, and it was incredibly kind of Joe and Mary to let us stay with them, but we needed our own place, soon. As in now. The thing is, what money we’d had that could’ve been used for a down payment on something had been used as a retainer for the attorney. We’d get some of it back. He wouldn’t have used most of it. But that didn’t put a roof over our heads or get me my cat back.

I snuggled in against his chest and sighed. Sometimes my life just sucks. Staying with Joe and Mary was definitely going to put a crimp in the old sex life, because while I know we’re all adults, he’s my brother, and as a werewolf Mary would be able to hear, and smell, everything. Ewwww.

“I get paid in a few days. It’ll be tight, but between the refund from the lawyer and my paycheck we should be able to get something. How we’ll furnish it I have no idea.” Tom shook his head; I felt his chin moving across my scalp.

“But we’ll manage something.” He took my chin in his hand and tilted my face up so that our gazes met.

“Unfortunately, I’ve got a shift starting in the morning, and as soon as I get off that I’ll have all sorts of last-minute stuff to do to help the pack prepare for the emergency session of the Conclave. You’ll be stuck with the job of finding a place and getting us packed pretty much by your lonesome.”

“I can handle it.” I leaned up, pressing my lips to his in a gentle kiss.

“It won’t be that easy.” His expression was so sad, and worried, but there was an underlying anger there too. I hugged him, trying to drive the sorrow from his face. “You remember how bad it was for me before I moved into your building.”

Yeah, I remembered. Prejudice sucks and there’s plenty of it to go around. People say that lycanthropy is a disease, but that doesn’t mean they want a werewolf living in their building, or down the street from their kids. Hell, Rob got thrown out of his previous apartment because they said his living there violated the “No Pets” clause. Assholes abound. I had no doubt I would meet more than my share over the next few days—especially since we’d be looking at low-income listings. But I gave him my gentlest smile, and was rewarded with a softening of his expression.

“Don’t underestimate the future wife.” I poked him in the ribs.

“Fine, right. I give up already.” He was grinning, mainly because I’d started tickling him. Of course then he had to retaliate. We were wrestling around like a couple of little kids in a matter of minutes. The wrestling was just about to turn adult when there was a firm tap on the glass of the car window.

Shit.

Tom slid his hand out from beneath my top and shifted his weight off me, enough that I could sit up and rearrange my clothing. While I did, he rolled down the window to see what was so important that Mary had left off cooking dinner to come out here.

“What’s up?”

Mary held out the cordless extension. “Sorry to interrupt, but Katie has a call. It’s Detective Brooks. Something about her missing guns. He doesn’t sound happy.”

I shot Tom an apologetic look, but he just gave me a resigned smile and tried to shift his trousers so that his erection wasn’t quite so obvious.

“Right.” I opened the car door and climbed out, taking the receiver from her hand. She turned and walked back into the house, giving me some privacy.

I hoped he wasn’t as upset as she made it sound. He understands my situation better than most, so upset meant bad things. I met him under “battle conditions” the night Monica Mica infested me. We’d formed a friendship then that has withstood all of the crap the vampires, and life, has thrown at me. It was his mother’s house I hid in when Amanda Shea, the press, and Samantha Greeley were after me. He is the one I call when I have to deal with the police—because he’s one of the few I know will treat me fairly regardless of what kind of political machinations may be going on behind the scene.

At five foot seven he isn’t tall, but he still manages to be imposing. His suits are perfectly tailored, and fitted to accommodate the kind of heavily muscled body that only comes from serious weight training. He’s handsome, but it’s as much because of the keen intellect staring out from his liquid brown eyes as from bone structure and grooming.

“Kate here.”

“Hey, Reilly. I just heard the news. Glad things turned out okay for you down there.” The rich baritone carried clearly through the receiver. I could actually picture him sitting at his desk, the sleeves of his snow-white dress shirt rolled up to reveal muscular arms—a stack of paperwork in front of him.

“You and me both.” I glanced back at the car. Tom hadn’t gotten out, which meant our private discussion might not have to be over—if I got done with the call quick enough. “Mary tells me you found one of my guns?” The tone made it a question.

“Two, actually.” He sighed. It was a frustrated, weary sound that made me feel bad for him. “But don’t expect to be getting them back anytime soon.”

“Why not?”

“They’re in evidence.” He explained. “One turned up at a pawn shop in response to my BOLO—”

“Bolo?”

He gave a weary chuckle. “Be on the lookout. I took the initiative and faxed your list to the local pawnshops. We got a call back almost immediately. Found your gun and a few other things besides.”

“Cool.”

“But the investigation’s ongoing. So you’ll have to wait a bit.”

“No problem. At least I’ll be getting it back eventually, and it’s not on the street wreaking havoc.”

Silence on the other end of the line made me wonder if I’d just put my foot in my mouth. His answer made me start chewing.

“The second gun turned up in a liquor store robbery. The clerk died. You probably heard it on the news.”

No, I hadn’t. Shit. “I’m sorry, John.”

He coughed. “Not your fault. You weren’t allowed inside the building to get it, and you had the damned thing locked in a safe. Can’t expect much more from you. But I do need you to stop by first thing tomorrow and sign all the paperwork. I got it ready when you faxed the list from the bank, but with everything that’s happened I need to make it all official.”

“Right. What time do you want me down there?”

“Will 8:30 work for you?”

“Fine. Just give me the address.”

He did me one better, giving me directions. It would be a long ride on the bus. I’d have to get up obscenely early and there would be at least one transfer involved. But I’d manage. “Right. Got it.” I assured him. “See you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll have the coffee ready when you get here.”

“You’re a good man, Brooks.”

He was laughing when we hung up.

I turned, planning to get back in the SUV, but apparently I’d taken too long. Tom was climbing out and any evidence of ardor was gone. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

My disappointment must have shown because he started laughing. It was a low, wicked chuckle, the kind that hints at naughty things done in darkened rooms, and it made my body tighten. His sparkling eyes darkened, the merriment joined by an intensity that comes into a man’s face when sex is in the air. My pulse sped, and I felt my skin flush a little in reaction.

“Dinner’s ready.”

The mood shattered at the sound of my brother’s call. I did not scream with frustration, much as I wanted to. And oh, how I wanted to.

“What say we go to bed right after dinner?” Tom whispered the suggestion into my left ear as he slid his arm around my waist.

“But—” I started to protest.

“I can be quiet. Can you?”

Oh, that was just too much of a dare to resist, even if I’d wanted to.

15

« ^ »

Dinner was homemade tortellini, garlic bread, and salad with tiramisu for dessert. It was absolutely amazing. Mary was a fabulous cook. I ate more than I should have, but I honestly couldn’t resist. After dinner everybody else settled down in front of the television to watch a movie on DVD. Instead of joining them, I went upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. I didn’t think Tom was going to join me, which just goes to show I underestimate how stubborn, and horny, he can be.

I walked into the bedroom wearing nothing but a bath towel to find him laying naked on top of the covers. He’d set the bedside light to its lowest setting, and the warm orange glow cast deep shadows on the muscled contours of his body, outlining a perfect six-pack, sculpted thighs, and a penis that rose to attention the minute I stepped inside the room.

“Oh my. I take it you haven’t changed your mind.”

He gave a low, wicked chuckle. “I believe we have a dare going on.”

“Oh really.” I was blushing. I couldn’t help it. Downstairs were both of my brothers and the Acca of his pack, none of whom were exactly hard of hearing. Oh, I could tell it was an action movie they were watching. There was plenty of gunfire and the occasional explosion. But still—

He rolled over on his side and scooted to one side of the bed to make room, then crooked his finger at me in the traditional beckoning motion.

I let the towel fall to the floor, and was rewarded with a look on his face of hunger to the point of need. Never in my life would I have expected a man to react to me like that, but he always did. The sex might be intense, or playful, depending on our mood, but the passion was always there, and love.

I climbed onto the bed beside him, lying on my side so that we were facing each other. I trailed my hand down the length of his body, using just a hint of fingernails against the warm, smooth skin. He gave a deep, knowing laugh. “Oh no, you don’t,” he teased. “On your back, woman.”

I tilted my head, raising a single eyebrow in an eloquent look, but did what he’d said. He kissed me then, and the kiss gave me the key to his mood: hungry, yes, but playful, which was just about perfect for me tonight. He pulled away from my lips, and I looked up into brown eyes sparkling with mischief and merriment. He raised a finger to his lips and, in his best Elmer Fudd imitation, said “Be vewy quiet. We be huntin’ wabbits.”