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“Well, shit!” Kane reached across the table and clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s about damn time. Congratulations.”
“I should say I’ve rediscovered her,” Bennett corrected himself. “It’s Stephanie, the girl I dated in high school. Do you remember her?”
“Oh, yeah.” Kane set down his sandwich long enough to wipe his hands and get a drink. “I hadn’t thought about all that drama in a long time. You two had quite the Romeo and Juliet thing going.”
“And we’re going to get the same ending, if things don’t change soon. They’ve already come after Stephanie and me once. That’s why I went to see Rex this morning. I wanted his help.” Disappointment washed over him anew.
Kane polished off his sandwich. “And what did my cousin have to say about that?”
“Damn near the same thing the chief of police told me when I tried to pursue them several years ago,” Bennett replied with a growl. “I don’t get it, Kane. These bastards keep popping up in my life, but my hands get tied every time. I couldn’t take them down through my police work, and then I got fired for pursuing them on the side. I went to Rex for help, hoping the Glenwoods as a whole could finally solve this problem. He not only refused to help, but he forbade me from even finishing the job on my own with an Alpha command.”
“Ouch.” Kane took a long sip of his coffee. “I know Rex wouldn’t do such a thing without good reason.”
“That’s the problem with him, isn’t it? There’s always reason and logic. I get it, Kane. I really do. He has a lot on his plate, and he can’t just fly off the handle if he’s going to run a successful pack. But this is getting critical. If the Bloodmoon Crew is allowed to continue, they’ll suddenly be a much bigger problem than anyone realized.” He could see it all unfolding, but why couldn’t anyone else?
“I talked with him about it back when you were having your troubles with the police force.” Kane put his coffee down and picked up his muffin. He broke it in half and studied the inside. “Cranberry walnut. Anyway, I know about the agreement Jimmy had made with Nelson. I’m guessing that’s why Rex isn’t helping?”
“Right.” Bennett realized he was gripping the handle of his coffee mug a bit too hard and set it down. “He actually offered to go talk it over with Nelson. The only thing that will do is make it worse.”
“I know it’s frustrating, but don’t underestimate Rex's negotiating skills. It’s hard when we don’t have the chance to just eliminate our enemies, but we should be grateful that we have an Alpha who actually wants to slow things down and talk. That’s a good part of why the Glenwoods have been so successful. Our leaders don’t just fly off the handle.” Kane took another bite of his muffin. “Damn, this is good.”
Bennett sighed. “I take it you’re on his side.”
“Don’t put it that way. I definitely sympathize with your cause. Your mate could be in danger. I’m guessing Rex offered some guards?” Kane raised a brow.
“He did.” Not that Bennett had been willing to accept them.
“Then take them. Know that you have some protection for her, even if it dings your pride a bit. It’s the best option you have right now.” Kane pulled his wallet out and left several bills on the table.
“It’s not good enough.” Bennett shook his head. “I’ve got to do more, but I don’t know what. I’ve worked my way out of some pretty tough situations, but this one just feels impossible.”
“I wish I knew of a way to help you.” Kane’s blue eyes met his. “I don’t want to go against what Rex has already told you, especially since it was an Alpha command. No offense, but you already lost your job on the force over this. I’ve got a kid to take care of, and I can’t afford to have the same thing happen to me. Unless something comes along in some sort of official capacity, I feel like my hands are tied.”
“Yeah. I know.” Bennett drummed his hands on the countertop. He’d known when he’d come to see him that Kane would have to follow the rules. He bent a few here and there to accommodate for the shifter world, but he could only go so far.
“Central dispatch to five-oh-four.” The radio on Kane’s shoulder buzzed to life.
He tapped the button. “Five-oh-four, go ahead.”
“We’ve got an emergency call from the vet clinic out on Barger.”
Bennett’s heart nearly jumped out of his mouth. “That’s it. That’s Stephanie’s clinic.”
“This is five-oh-four. I’m on my way.” Kane was out of his seat. “Looks like you’ve got the official capacity you were hoping for.”
As they raced to the scene, Bennett only hoped they could get there in time.
10
“I can fit you in on Thursday afternoon at two o’clock. How does that work with your schedule?” Stephanie sat in front of her computer, having run to the office right after finishing up with a client. She’d built this place from the ground up, and she was used to doing every job and any job. Sometimes, she brought in temps or other help, but for the most part, it was just herself and Annie. She easily flicked through the appointment system on the computer. “All right. I’ve got you set up. We’ll see you on Thursday.”
Hanging up, Stephanie headed back into the exam room where she’d just finished a cold laser treatment for an old hound with arthritis. It hadn’t turned him into a young pup again, but he was decidedly better than before they’d started these sessions. Stephanie smiled to herself as she cleaned and sanitized the space. It was quiet that day, not having a lobby full of hopeful walk-ins. She’d politely kept to just her previously set appointments, and even though it kept her hopping from room to room, she was truly enjoying herself. She took care of each patient from start to finish, finding the joy in her work all over again.
It was just too bad that it’d only come about because of Bennett’s concerns. There’d been no doubt that those wolves they’d encountered the day before wanted to hurt them. She couldn’t ignore that, though the peace of the clinic right now made it easy to try. If someone was going to come after her, why wouldn’t they have done it already? Why would they wait, especially if they were these highly skilled shifters who ran a crime syndicate that even the police couldn’t pursue?
“You’re just trying to use logic to tell yourself there’s no reason to be scared,” she told herself. “You don’t want to think anyone could come after you. That’s the stuff of movies. Besides, you’re here all alone, and the doors are locked. Nothing can happen. Oh!” She jumped when she heard the front door open.
It was supposed to be locked. Her heartbeat filled her ears as she peeked out the door, down the hallways, and into the lobby.
