in her voice.
Michelle nodded. That was an affront no wolf-were could let go: that in her den, a friend had been attacked. “Where do you want to start?”
Carson was accosted just inside the entrance of the expensive apartment building.
The concierge was a wolf-were, his face vaguely familiar from the few times Carson had spent with the Beo Pack. “Carson, good morning. I’ll have to phone up.”
So apparently Darryl—Carson had to check the man’s name badge—recognized him and the were rumor mill had provided the reason for Carson’s visit.
Did they all believe he was Liz’s boyfriend? And, remembering their incendiary kisses last night, was he?
“Michelle says for you to go up. The penthouse elevator is to your left.”
The penthouse elevator could have comfortably held twelve people. It had dull metal sides, a vinyl floor and no camera. No luxury carpet, here. It was an elevator a bleeding person could enter, and the evidence would just wipe away. Carson contemplated the plain floor and what that said about the people he was visiting: wealthy, but practical wolf-weres.
It wasn’t Liz who opened the door to him, but her mom, Michelle. “Good morning, Carson. Coffee? Liz is getting ready for the day.”
He stretched his hearing, but the penthouse was well-soundproofed. He had no idea where Liz was or what she was doing. “Coffee would be great.” He took a seat at a comfortable kitchen table, his nose telling him that Liz had been there only minutes before.
“I’m glad we have a few minutes to talk,” Michelle said.
“Oh?” The hair on the back of his neck rose in warning.
Liz’s mom smiled. She was tall like her daughter, with shorter hair, and dressed very practically in jeans, a cotton check shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and boots. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to give you the third degree. Steve will be here this afternoon, and you’ll discover that there’s nothing as protective as an older brother.”
“Steve’s a friend,” Carson said.
“Is he? And there was I, thinking it was my dad who vouched for you.” Michelle looked intrigued, but then she glanced towards a doorway and lowered her voice. “Liz doesn’t want me hovering, but I want someone with her if she leaves the penthouse. Will you stay close?”
He nodded. He intended to find some answers, and he expected Liz would want to go with him.
“Thank you.” Michelle patted his hand.
You have no idea what I just promised. But he stifled his guilt as he heard Liz’s approach.
Michelle stood. “I have a construction site waiting inspection, so if you’ll excuse me?”
He stood with the good manners his own mom had instilled in him. “Good-bye.”
“Bye, Mom.” Liz hovered in the doorway till Michelle had departed. Her gaze kept darting to him and away. She was uncomfortable. “Carson, did I say thank you, last night?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t certain what to do, either. He was accustomed to a confident Liz, not this uncertain woman. Plus, he’d never felt this knotted tension in his gut before. It wasn’t fear, it was far more complicated. Anticipation and confusion. He abandoned words and thought, and went with his instincts. He opened his arms and Liz ran into them.
Holding her tight felt right.
“I was so scared,” she muttered.
He tightened his hold.
“I was scared and angry,” she continued her confession. “I was afraid you’d be hurt. Killed. Or that Daria would be. I promised I’d keep her safe.”
“You did.” He rubbed her back, his own confusion and uncertainty fading as he held her.
“We did.” She pulled back, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “I need a tissue.” He released her and she crossed the room to grab a tissue from a box, blow her nose and throw the tissue away. “Good thing I didn’t put mascara on.” Her voice was shaky.
“Come back here,” he said.
Her smiled wobbled, then steadied. She returned to his embrace. “It was kind of you to come
Michelle nodded. That was an affront no wolf-were could let go: that in her den, a friend had been attacked. “Where do you want to start?”
Carson was accosted just inside the entrance of the expensive apartment building.
The concierge was a wolf-were, his face vaguely familiar from the few times Carson had spent with the Beo Pack. “Carson, good morning. I’ll have to phone up.”
So apparently Darryl—Carson had to check the man’s name badge—recognized him and the were rumor mill had provided the reason for Carson’s visit.
Did they all believe he was Liz’s boyfriend? And, remembering their incendiary kisses last night, was he?
“Michelle says for you to go up. The penthouse elevator is to your left.”
The penthouse elevator could have comfortably held twelve people. It had dull metal sides, a vinyl floor and no camera. No luxury carpet, here. It was an elevator a bleeding person could enter, and the evidence would just wipe away. Carson contemplated the plain floor and what that said about the people he was visiting: wealthy, but practical wolf-weres.
It wasn’t Liz who opened the door to him, but her mom, Michelle. “Good morning, Carson. Coffee? Liz is getting ready for the day.”
He stretched his hearing, but the penthouse was well-soundproofed. He had no idea where Liz was or what she was doing. “Coffee would be great.” He took a seat at a comfortable kitchen table, his nose telling him that Liz had been there only minutes before.
“I’m glad we have a few minutes to talk,” Michelle said.
“Oh?” The hair on the back of his neck rose in warning.
Liz’s mom smiled. She was tall like her daughter, with shorter hair, and dressed very practically in jeans, a cotton check shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and boots. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to give you the third degree. Steve will be here this afternoon, and you’ll discover that there’s nothing as protective as an older brother.”
“Steve’s a friend,” Carson said.
“Is he? And there was I, thinking it was my dad who vouched for you.” Michelle looked intrigued, but then she glanced towards a doorway and lowered her voice. “Liz doesn’t want me hovering, but I want someone with her if she leaves the penthouse. Will you stay close?”
He nodded. He intended to find some answers, and he expected Liz would want to go with him.
“Thank you.” Michelle patted his hand.
You have no idea what I just promised. But he stifled his guilt as he heard Liz’s approach.
Michelle stood. “I have a construction site waiting inspection, so if you’ll excuse me?”
He stood with the good manners his own mom had instilled in him. “Good-bye.”
“Bye, Mom.” Liz hovered in the doorway till Michelle had departed. Her gaze kept darting to him and away. She was uncomfortable. “Carson, did I say thank you, last night?”
“Yes.” He wasn’t certain what to do, either. He was accustomed to a confident Liz, not this uncertain woman. Plus, he’d never felt this knotted tension in his gut before. It wasn’t fear, it was far more complicated. Anticipation and confusion. He abandoned words and thought, and went with his instincts. He opened his arms and Liz ran into them.
Holding her tight felt right.
“I was so scared,” she muttered.
He tightened his hold.
“I was scared and angry,” she continued her confession. “I was afraid you’d be hurt. Killed. Or that Daria would be. I promised I’d keep her safe.”
“You did.” He rubbed her back, his own confusion and uncertainty fading as he held her.
“We did.” She pulled back, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “I need a tissue.” He released her and she crossed the room to grab a tissue from a box, blow her nose and throw the tissue away. “Good thing I didn’t put mascara on.” Her voice was shaky.
“Come back here,” he said.
Her smiled wobbled, then steadied. She returned to his embrace. “It was kind of you to come
Similar Books
