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“Fuck yeah!” I gave her a fist bump, polished off my slice, and then grabbed another. I was starving.
Kelly stuck her head inside the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. “Want one?” she asked. When I shook my head no, she shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She popped the top of the can, letting it fizz. “So, what happened last night?”
“Same as usual. I had too much built-up energy so I found someone who could pull the plug.”
She grinned, “I guess it worked.”
My grin disappeared. “Not really.” I couldn’t get Luca off my mind. Even when I did fall asleep, I dreamed about him naked and on top of me. His devilish smile, strong hands that knew how to play my body like a fine-tuned instrument, and that domineering attitude my wolf loved so much. My dream had no trouble continuing where I left off last night.
I didn’t want to tell Kelly about Luca even though she was my best friend. At five feet two, with shoulder-length brown hair, and green eyes that matched her wicked temper, she would constantly hound me if she knew how much Luca had gotten under my skin. She always claimed that I had no personal life and needed to get out more often. Socialize. No, I wasn’t ready to deal with her analyzing the situation because Luca was now off-limits. Literally.
If he hadn’t figured out my smell was a little off, he would eventually. And that wasn’t a chance I was willing to take. So the best thing I could do was forget about the sexy shifter and focus on the job and catching Fang.
Snap, snap, Kelly clicked her fingers in front of my face. “Where did you go?”
“Huh?” I asked.
“You were staring into space with a dreamy look in your eyes. Were you thinking about the guy from last night?” She asked with a knowing grin.
“What? No. Of course not! I was thinking about having to work with a partner and not wanting to.”
Her face dropped. “Yeah, something doesn’t feel right about the entire situation. So, what are you going to do?”
I ran a hand through my long tresses, working out a couple of knots. “I guess I’ll go stake it out, see if I can get a feel for what’s really going on.”
Kelly pointed a pizza slice at me. “Be careful. And if you need backup, then I’m your gal.”
“Gal, did you just say gal?” I laughed.
“Shut it!” she said, but there was no heat behind her demand.
“Okay, I’ve got to get dressed and head out. Thanks for the pizza.”
“Anytime. I’m heading out to meet Brian.” At the mention of a guy’s name, I spun around with a grin. Kelly didn’t date, not really. She and I would hit a human club every now and then and have a little fun. But notdating. That word was taboo around here. “Don’t worry,” Kelly said before I got a chance to question her. “I’ll tell you all about him later. Good luck tonight.”
“I’m counting on it, and thanks.”
After pulling into a parking spot, I stared at the heavy wooden doors as people came and went. My fingers tingled with energy and my internal warning system shouted for menotto go inside, turn around and hunt Fang on my own. I’ve always let my odd feelings direct my decisions and trusted in them, but this time, did I have a choice? As much as I liked to pretend to be aloof, I really needed this job. It not only paid the bills; it provided the autonomy that I longed for, which didn’t fit the norm. Most wolves craved a pack, and even though I could feel my wolf wanted that too, it was dangerous. Maybe if I hadn’t been born with this other dual nature, or if I had grown up in a pack, I might have felt differently, been a little braver. But it was too late for maybes and what-ifs. I had to live with the hand I was dealt.
Sucking in a lungful of air, I needed to get this over with and meet the new partner. Or maybe if Curt thought I was here, he would pass along the information, and I could leave without going inside. Grabbing my phone, I sent a quick text.
Me: I’m here.
Jackson: Good. Let me know when you meet up with your partner and I’ll send you the next lead.
“Motherfucking asshole!” I tossed my phone into the passenger’s seat and pounded the steering wheel once with my fist. There was no way Curt Jackson would let me get away with giving my partner the slip. That still didn’t mean I wouldn’t do a little recon first. And why was he even assigning me a partner? In the back of my mind, I wondered if he thought I couldn’t get the job done. Yes, it was taking me longer than usual, but that wasn’t my fault. I doubt anyone could do any better. I grabbed the door handle of my car and huffed out, “Let’s get this over with,” under my breath.
I typically dressed in a black ribbed racerback tank, black leather pants and kickass boots. But tonight, I opted for undercover, wearing a pair of faded jeans and a blue hoodie cinched up around my silverish-red hair. I hoped to blend in with the rest of the people, but I probably looked more like I wanted to rob the joint.
I passed a couple as I headed up the five steps. My senses quickly labeled them human before dismissing them altogether. My fingers tingled as my heart beat a steady rhythm. I never felt this anxious about meeting someone, which left me ready and watching for a surprise attack. But certainly, Jackson wouldn’t send me into an ambush. Would he?
As soon as I opened the heavy wooden door, the smell of perfume, sweat, alcohol, and shifters assaulted my nose. I never understood the human need to bathe themselves in strong odors.
There were at least three different shifter scents, all male, and one of them—falling leaves, crisp apples, and cinnamon.
Oh hell!I groaned internally. To say I hadn’t thought about Luca would be a lie. He dominated every waking thought. Even in the shower, I had to make myself come just to relieve the sexual tension.
My heart kicked into overtime, and I nearly panicked while my wolf leaped for joy. I had to calm the fuck down. By the scent, I knew that all three sat close to the back booth where I was supposed to meet my partner. So instead, I turned left and put the center bar between me and the other shifters, opting for a corner table.
