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"Couple of nasty-looking wounds you have there," Cass drawled, swinging her legs around and sitting up on the bed.
"Glass will do that," I said. "I don't suppose you know where T. J. Hart lives, do you?"
She raised an eyebrow, amusement glimmering in her eyes. "It's not listed on the business registration?"
"Apparently not." I plopped down on the chaise longue and tried to ignore the stale scents rising from it. "I'll give you another thirty for the information, because that's all I've got."
She considered me for a moment, then said, "How much trouble is T.J. in? Because as much as the clients suck, this is a reasonably secure and clean place to work."
I hesitated. "It depends on whether he's merely renting the room or actively involved in what is going on."
"Well, I know he raised a hell of a fuss about the shit they put on the roof, so I suspect his only involvement is a pocket-level one." She held out a hand. "Payment first. You look the trustworthy type, but I've been fooled before."
I dug out my wallet and handed over the last of my cash.
She tucked the cash into her tin, then gave me a smile. "T.J. lives down the road in Elwood. He likes to be near his investments."
She grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote down the address before handing it to me.
I shoved the scrap into my pocket. "So he has more than one brothel?"
"Yeah. The other one is in Caulfield. It's a little more upmarket. I used to work there when I was younger." She shrugged, like age and demotion weren't really a problem.
"Can I ask why you're still in the business? I mean, you seem pretty savvy, and I suspect you could get a job doing something else easily."
"I trained as a personal assistant and I'm a damned good one, so there's no doubt that I could. But the money here is good, I can set my own hours, and medical is included." She shrugged again. "Another year or so, and I'll probably open my own - "
She paused and cocked her head sideways. "T.J.'s just walked into the building."
"He's a shifter?"
She nodded, amusement playing around her lips. "Unfortunately for him, his alternate form is less than exciting. He's a hare."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. "A hare?"
"Yeah. It does explain his penchant for the sex business, though." She paused again, then frowned. "Those men are back. The bird-shifter - "
The rest of her sentence was cut off by two short, sharp gunshots.
Chapter 6
As screams erupted from the floors below, I glanced at Cass and whispered urgently, "Get under the bed and don't come out until I say so.">For several minutes afterward we didn't move, just allowed the warm bubbly water to caress our skins. Then he stirred and gave me a sweet, gentle kiss.
"I suppose I should now let you tend to the second of your needs."
I draped my arms loosely around his neck. "I don't think I have the energy to move right now."
"Well, we can't have you starving to death. I like my women with meat on their bones, thank you very much."
With that, he slipped his hands under my body and lifted me up. I laughed in delight and kissed his cheek. "So, if I was as naturally skinny as most werewolves, you wouldn't love me?"
"Oh, I'd still love you," he said, dark eyes twinkling as he climbed out of the tub. "I'd just always be trying to fatten you up. But as luck would have it, my girl normally has luscious curves. I just want them back."
With a smile teasing my lips, I began to kiss and nip his neck and earlobe. "That could cost you, you know," I murmured. "Because I have quite an appetite."
"Oh, I think I'm more than capable of catering to your appetites."
And over the next hour or so, he did indeed prove more than capable.
