“Reba.” For the first time, Jewel let a hint of her savage other self show in her gaze. “Enough.”
Reba gasped and took a step backward. Then, recovering her equilibrium, she snagged hold of Jewel’s arm. “Are you sure you—?”
“I’m sure.” Jewel continued to stare until the Realtor dropped her hand.
“Fine. If you want me to drop it, I will. For now.”
“Good.” Jewel turned to go. The class would be starting soon.
Reba cleared her throat. “Let me say this much. As long as you aren’t involved with Colton, I don’t think you’re in danger.”
Danger. As if. The woman had no idea where Jewel had been. “I’m not involved with him.”
“Whatever you say. But I don’t believe you, you know.”
Jewel sighed. “It’s the truth.” She turned to go.
“Come on, Reba. The class will be starting soon.”
“I know, but I need to tell you about the fire. Since I rented the house to you, I needed to know what to tell the owners when I did reach them. I’ve talked to the fire department. Have they called you?”
“No.”
“The fire was definitely arson. Whoever started it used an accelerant, gasoline.”
“I was inside, sleeping.” Jewel shook her head. “If Colton hadn’t seen the smoke and gotten me out, I would have died.”
Reba gasped. “Seriously? No one told me that.”
Jewel nodded, waiting for the woman to make the connection. A second later, she did.
“But if it was arson, and they knew you were asleep inside…Are you saying someone tried to kill you?”
“That’s what it looks like at this point.”
Reba grabbed her arm, her scarlet nails standing out like fresh blood. “But why, honey? Why would anyone want to do that?”
Surprised, Jewel eyed the other woman. Maybe the small-town gossip wasn’t as efficient as she’d thought. “Because of who I am, what I did.”
“What did you do? Who’d you piss off?”
“I’m…” She couldn’t go on. Jewel tried another tack. “You don’t recognize me from television? Several other people around town did.”
“Really? You were on TV?” With a bewildered expression, Reba studied her. “I’m sorry, but I don’t recall seeing you. Who are you and what did you do?”
While Jewel tried to decide how best to answer, the bathroom door swung open and two other women strolled in, chatting. They caught sight of Reba clutching Jewel and hurried over.
“We’ve heard the most delicious gossip.” Brown eyes sparkling, the older woman with the tight gray curls grinned. “We had no idea we had a celebrity in our midst.”
“I’m not a—”
“You know who she is?” Looking from one to the other, Reba sounded dismayed. “I guess I should, but I really don’t have any idea.”
The second woman tittered. “Tsk, tsk.”
“I was about to tell her,” Jewel protested weakly, the woman’s heavy perfume making her nose twitch and her eyes water. She tried to smile, all the while wishing she could break and run for it. Sometimes being a wolf was much simpler.
Except when the wolf wanted to break free of the unwanted cage.
