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CHAPTER28
SEVEN YEARS
Austin tossed the last can of empty paint into an oversized trash bag. The late afternoon sun smeared an orange trail of light on the porch, and all the windows on the lower floor were kept open after Ben inadvertently got high in the bathroom from the paint fumes. They couldn’t have asked for better weather, but the manual labor made it miserable.
He’d gone outside to spray down the mud they’d tracked on the porch when Denver grabbed the hose and blasted a cold shot of water in his face.
“Jesus!” he yelled with a laugh. “Cut it out.” Austin threw up his right arm to block, but he could hardly complain because it felt great. Denver aimed the nozzle straight up in the air and it showered them with water.
“You boys get away from the house. You’re going to get spots all over the windows I just cleaned,” Lynn yelled from inside.
“Damn,” Denver breathed, clicking the nozzle off. “Our mom would really like that woman. Those two were probably separated at birth.” He strolled to the end of the porch and sat down, taking off his sneakers and spraying his feet to cool them off. “Why is it women can never let a man have any fun? They just want to fuss about something.”
“They’re practical,” Austin said, shaking off some of the water droplets from his hair. “We live in the moment and they think about what’s coming. If they didn’t keep us in check, we’d fuck up the planet.”
“Yeah, well, I still think that cooling off and preventing a heatstroke is more practical than spots on the windows,” he complained as a rainbow formed in the fine mist rising from the green hose.
Denver had always been the free spirit of the family—untamable. Truthfully, Austin didn’t really want to break him. Not the way most Packmasters would. Denver loved people and that’s why he worked as a bartender. His wolf was the only one who needed an attitude adjustment.
Jericho was the seducer in the family, although it never made sense because the man looked like he hardly showered. Denver was different. He could have any woman out there—he’d obviously hijacked all the best genes in the family. A masculine face combined with a mischievous smile won them over every time. But during their outings at the Shifter bar, he mostly hung out at the pool tables. He flirted like nobody’s business, but was too damn selective to get serious. Who knows, maybe he didn’t think they were good enough for him. Denver was only fifteen years older than Austin, although he looked younger.
“You wanna head back?” Denver asked.
“Yeah.” Something was bothering Austin, so he picked up Reno’s phone and dialed Lexi.
No answer.
Maybe she’d gone outside and left the phone on the counter, but Lexi had promised to keep it with her at all times. Something didn’tfeelright, and he couldn’t put his finger on it. Everyone has intuition to some degree and most people blow it off.
Austin wasn’t about to be most people.
“Heading out,” he announced.
“I’ll come with,” Denver called out from behind, jogging across the dirt with wet feet.
“Why don’t you stay behind and help clean up?”
Denver snagged a handful of Austin’s shirt and yanked him back. “Because I feel that shit too. Something ain’t right.”
Austin tossed Reno’s phone at Denver. “Call Wheeler and tell him what’s up. I want them to sit tight, lock the doors, and watch the women.”
Austin barely remembered getting in the car and starting the engine, but the next thing he knew, they were flying down the main road with rubber chewing up asphalt. The low afternoon sun splintered through the windshield and he squinted, having left his sunglasses at the house.
“Still no answer,” Denver said after the fifth attempt at calling Lexi.
Who the hell could be on his property? “I want you to get Lorenzo Church on the phone.” Austin recited the number while Denver handed him the phone.
“This is Church.”
“Stay away from Lexi,” Austin growled. “I want you and your men to back off.”
“Hold on, is this Cole?” Laughter on the other end, and it only kindled the fire. “Good God, youareparanoid.”
“You think I’m fucking with you? Try me.” Austin gripped the steering wheel so hard it could have snapped. “Touch her and I’ll break every finger on your hand. Take her, and I’ll break your neck.”
“What is this call about? You’re wasting my time. I no longer have a man assigned to guard her, if that’s what you’re asking. That was her wish, and I will not force myself on any woman.”
“It’s not him,” Austin said, glancing at Denver.
