Welcome to the Neighborhood (16 page)

“Really?” A brow rose.

She nodded.

“I assure you, my intentions are honest. I treat others with respect, the same kind of treatment I would expect.”

His deep, firm tone left no question about his goals. Since the first time she’d met Greg, he’d regarded her with a high opinion. She admired him for that quality.

“Justin had heard about my burglary,” she said as she slowly walked toward her driveway. “After I told him we believed the movers, who were werewolves, are responsible, he brought up something I hadn’t thought about.”

“Oh?” He stayed close to her side. “What is it?”

“Pack laws protect those within the pack.” She stopped and faced Greg. “Do you know if the movers belong to the local pack?”

“They don’t. I confirmed it with my roommate, Andy. And I did a little research on the numbers you gave me. They’re from Chicago.”

“I moved from there.”

“The boundary for our pack stops at the Illinois line. So the good news is, our rules will not govern them. The bad news is, if they cross the state line they are more difficult to reach under their own pack.”

Fury rose and Alexi stomped her shoe on the sidewalk. The
clack
of her heel echoed briefly. “Damn it. They’ve had plenty of time to return to their own turf by now.” Instead of wasting time at a hotel, she should’ve hunted the beasts down and got her safe back on her own terms. Maybe she should’ve taken charge instead of relying on Greg.

“Don’t worry.” He reached out to touch her shoulder, but paused and drew his hand back. “Their pack may try to hide them, but they are not unreachable. When law enforcement finds them, human law will take precedence. I assure you, police will arrest them and bring them in front of a human court of law.”

“They could be hiding now.”

“I called the company this afternoon to see if the names on your card had checked back in yet. So far, they hadn’t.”

A surge of hope lifted her spirit. “Do you think they could still be in Indiana?”

“It’s very possible. If the police find them within our state lines, you can press charges
and
take whatever means of retribution you wish to pursue. Of course, you’ll have to do it under the radar.”

Alexi understood his words well. The human law would put them on trial and send them to prison. Then, she could inflict her own punishment without any resistance or complaints from the pack. She toyed with the idea, but truthfully, she merely wanted the contents of the safe back with her.

“Right now, I just want my property. There are things…” She caught herself before disclosing how valuable the items missing were. “I need the safe returned.”

“The police have the names, and they are inquiring with the company. They’re also searching for matches from the fingerprints they took from the glass and on the handle of your front door.”

“I guess they weren’t smart enough to wear gloves.”

He half smiled. “In my opinion, anyone dumb enough to steal from a vampire has got a major problem.”

A tingle of warmth spread through her, seeing his kind face, his sympathetic eyes, and hearing his words. He cared and was determined to help her. No question about it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll contact them again tomorrow and see if they’ve placed an APB on the moving truck. I assume they used the same one since they had to use a dolly to move your safe. If the police haven’t ordered the bulletin, I’ll ask a friend to give me their records. Once I get the plate number for the truck, I can ask for help within the pack.”

She gazed at Greg with deep respect. The man had a plan of action. Trusting him to work with law enforcement to get her property returned was the right thing to do. She recognized it now.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

“I won’t let you down, Alexi. I promise.”

His steadfast gaze filled her with resolve. It also stirred a desire within her. She owed him for his time, effort, and honesty. The temptation to get closer to Greg overwhelmed her, but she feared getting hurt and losing everything she worked so hard to gain. Not again. She couldn’t risk it.

She turned away from him and took a step forward. “I need to change before we leave.”

Greg stepped in front of her, bringing her to a halt. “You look fine. We’re not going anywhere extravagant.”

“I’d like to put my hair up.” She stepped to the side and he did too.

“Actually, if you wouldn’t mind, I like your hair down. When it’s tied back, you look a little…” He hesitated. “You look more relaxed and ladylike with your hair down.”

“Oh.” Blood rushed to her face and her cheeks warmed. She’d never received such a pleasant compliment from a man before. She brushed her hand under her hair, bringing a portion forward from over her shoulder. “You think it looks better this way?”

“Absolutely.” He reached to touch her, but drew his hand back quickly. “You have beautiful hair. I think you should be proud and show it, not tie it behind your head.”

“Okay, well, I guess we can go.”

Smiling, he extended his arm toward the car. “I have a wonderful surprise for you. I think you will enjoy this evening. And if you don’t, I’ll make sure the next time is better.”

Greg escorted her around his car to the passenger side. Her curiosity and nerves thrived to the point she was nearly shaking. A surprise? She hated surprises. Yet she decided to play along. He’d been courteous and professional, even took the “no touching” rule seriously. The man had gained her respect. Why should she turn back now? It was just a date between neighbors. Nothing more.

Pushing her anxiety aside and keeping her guard up, she remained confident they would have a pleasant evening full of conversation. For once, she doubted anything could go wrong.

14

Greg waited as Alexi lifted her long legs inside the car. He tried to avoid staring at them, but he couldn’t help it. She had firm calves that looked strong, perfect for wrapping around his body and squeezing tight. The light paleness of her skin gave her a healthy glow. Her appearance had improved vastly from the night she fell down the stairs. While he disliked the idea of her feeding from strangers when he offered himself, he wouldn’t harp on it. She’d fed and healed and that was all that mattered. He gazed at her lustrous brunet hair. The waves flowed gracefully around her face and over her shoulders. He’d come close to touching her and wished he could’ve as her locks looked as soft as silk. But he made a promise he planned to keep it.

Seeing her secured in the vehicle, he shut the door. As he strode around the back of his car, he wondered if she’d noticed how he tried to keep her from going inside her home. She didn’t seem angry or questionable. Maybe she hadn’t paid much attention. He blew out a deep breath, hoping he was right. His surprise was in her house and Corey was finishing with the cleanup.

Earlier, Greg had taken off from work to meet the glass installers and carpet cleaners. The two worked quickly, one installed a new patio door while the other removed the bloodstain in the basement carpet. They took several hours and after they’d left, the kitchen was in need of cleaning. He picked up their trash and had started mopping, but ran out of time to finish. Thankfully, Corey checked in with him and offered to help. Greg ran back to his place and prepared for his date. Not even ten minutes after he returned to check on Corey, Greg had heard Alexi talking to Justin outside.

“Did the forensics team make much of mess when the searched for evidence?” Alexi asked as Greg settled into the driver’s seat. The leather made a squishy sound underneath him.

He closed his door with a soft thud. “A little, but it’s taken care of.”

“What do you mean?”

He reached behind her seat and gazed over his shoulder as he steered the car down the driveway. “I cleaned it up.”

He was so close to her. Pressing his lips together, he breathed in her scent. She smelled of citrus and lime. The fruity aroma pleased him. Actually, it made him long to kiss and lick her from head to toe.
Calm down, Greg.
Christ Almighty, he really didn’t want to sport a woody this soon into the date.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, her soft voice a blissful sound to his ears.

“It was the right thing to do.”

He glimpsed at her and saw a smile on her face. Had he impressed her? Score one point for him. He was making progress toward his goal of getting her to trust him.

Reaching the street, Greg stopped and shifted the gear.

“I called my insurance company today. They told me to get the patio door replaced and they would reimburse me. As for my safe, they will only reimburse me for the storage unit, not the contents.”

“They won’t give you anything for the items inside?” he questioned as he navigated through the neighborhood.

“No, I didn’t insure them.”

He glanced at her with a question on the tip of his tongue. Why would she have a safe and not insure the items in it? It didn’t make sense.

“Can I ask a personal question?”

She clasped her hands tight together. Was she that nervous to answer? His curiosity rose. What could she be hiding inside the safe?

“You can ask. I won’t promise I’ll answer.”

“You’re a smart woman. Is there a good reason why you chose not to insure the items stored in your safe?”

Silence lingered for a while.

“Many of the items in it are so old they can’t have a price tag stuck on them. Then there are other items that have no monetary value, but can cause major problems.”

“What, like financial documents, passports or social security information?” He didn’t consider identity theft a problem for a vampire, but maybe it was.

“The information is extremely valuable. That’s why we have to catch these guys before they can open it.”

The desire to reach over and place his hand over hers festered within him. He wanted to touch her to assure her everything would be all right. Words could only go so far.

“I’ll stay on top of the investigation. I give you my word. It may not sound like much, but I’m a very honorable man.”

“I appreciate your help.”

He’d heard the same words from her plenty of times and believed she meant them, but he sensed a touch of fear behind them.

“You know what?” he asked, and she looked at him. “Try to forget about everything for tonight. I’d like you to relax, and just…be yourself. Enjoy the night.”

Her lips twitched and he couldn’t prevent the smile from spreading across his face. When she nodded, his heart thumped a beat faster. More baby steps to progress.

“Where are we going?” she asked, staring out the window.

“Somewhere different.” He turned onto the ramp leading to the Interstate.

“We’re not staying in Westport?”

“No, we’re heading to Indy. I think you’ll enjoy where I’m taking you.”

“Is it a restaurant?”

He grinned. “No.”

She twisted in her seat to face him. “It’s a shame I can’t read your thoughts. I like to know where I’m going and what to expect from people.”

“Is it because you think someone might hurt you?”

“I’ve met a lot of dishonest people. I try to avoid them.”

“I know what you mean. I see a lot of insincere people in court. They use their children as excuses. It’s really sad. Mothers want money to buy expensive purses, manicures and fancy hairstyles for themselves. Fathers want their paychecks to come under the table so they can avoid paying child support. The one who suffers through all this is the kid. Little Johnnie doesn’t get proper clothing, attention or parental support. Why? Because mom and dad are bitter toward each other and don’t want to take responsibility. It makes me furious sometimes.”

“Did you come from a broken home?”

He tightened his grip on the wheel. His goal was not to relive his past, but rather learn hers and get her to open up. Somehow, his plan had taken a wrong turn.

Slowly, he let the tension pass and loosened his grasp. Maybe if he shared some of his unpleasant memories she would open up to him.

“My brother and I grew up with our mother in a crappy little two bedroom apartment. She’d always blame us for her problems, then drag us to court to get money from our father. Whenever our father visited, he’d spend more time in her bedroom then actually visiting us. We were lucky if we got Christmas gifts from him.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t want to live like that. After I finished school, I joined the armed forces. Then I went to college and law school. I decided to help people, or rather, children in similar situations. I’ve spent over six years as a local prosecutor, trying to help families. Sometimes I wonder if I am.”

“You’re trying, and that counts. You have clear goals to help children. Yes, there are factors involved that are out of your control, but you don’t let it stop you. Though you may not see the results from your efforts, I think you are helping.”

“I guess.” He shrugged. “It’s different for Corey and Andy. When they prosecute people and win the criminals go to jail and the victims get some retribution, either monetarily or emotionally. In my line of work, I don’t see the children benefiting.”

“Have you considered going into another area, like child protective services?”

He rubbed his hand across his mouth and down his bearded chin. “I have considered transferring.” In truth, he had, but he delayed the change to gain more experience and connections with the different courts.

“What’s stopping you?”

He glanced at her. She looked curious, eager almost. As if he intrigued her. “I was holding off so I could acquire more contacts with judges and law enforcement. Plus, the court experience is helpful. But, maybe it’s time to move on now.”

“If you really want to make a difference, you should do it.” She sounded enthusiastic for him.

Grinning, he glanced at her. “Is that the wise advice of Alexi Cartwright?”

“Yes.” She crossed her arms. “And if you don’t, I think you are short changing yourself. Not to mention the children who could benefit from your work.”

“You’re a pretty convincing woman, even without your vampire charm.”