Ellis: Emerson Wolves ― Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance by Kathi S. Barton Page A

fit to be called that, but it would be hours before he was given anything else. “Sure, we tied her up, but that was to keep us safe. She might have gotten it into her head to tear into us or something.”
    Basil had seen shifting people before. There were a couple of wolves that had been on his land once that he’d fired at. Not killing them or anything, but he’d made sure they knew that they weren’t welcome. But when Dawn had her one of them shifts, he’d been a little afraid of her. It was not like they were bad to her, but she might not see it the way he and his Neva had.
    If things didn’t look up soon, he and his wife were gonna be living in the house without a means to get to their car. He was pretty sure they’d make it so he’d not be able to park his car on the land when they took it. What was he supposed to do with it then? Opening the cola, he took a long sip of it while he tried to work it out.
    He really did wonder how he was going to manage living in the house if the land belonged to someone else. There had to be some provisions so that he could get out of the place to go to town when he needed to do some shopping. Surely, they didn’t think he was going to fly to it, did they? If anyone else came to see him, he’d ask. They’d be able to tell him how he was going to work that.
    Dozing just a little, he was startled awake by that lawyer person, Shawnee or something like that. The man told him his name again, and Basil nodded, wondering what the heck else could go wrong today. Then he remembered his question and asked him.
    Shawn’s blank stare made Basil think that he didn’t know either. Basil was quite proud of himself for coming up with something that would stump a suit. But before he could crow about it too much, rub it in his face, the man threw back his head and laughed. It was a good five minutes before he got some control over himself to answer him.
    “The land and the property are one thing. Anything you have on the property is considered a part of it. The house, the cars, even any sheds or outbuildings you have on the land will belong to my client.”
    Basil told him about the tax man. “I tried to tell him that I don’t have to pay them when they’re giving me money not to have a job. But he just kept telling me that I gotta pay them. Two hundred thousand dollars’ worth of that shit. I did never get that much in refunds.” Shawn told him he’d more than likely have to pay that back as well. “Why for?”
    “Did you claim that you had property to get those refunds? Tell whoever did your taxes for you that you owned land?” He told him his wife did them for them. “Then she should have known better than to not claim the land as income too.”
    “The land don’t pay me nothing. How the hell is that considered income?” Basil shook his head. “I think you all are making this crap up as you go.”
    “It’s property and, as such, considered income.” Shawn shook his head again as he laughed. “You really do think that this is just going to go away, don’t you?”
    “I just think I’m being hosed, and I’m a good guy.” Shawn handed him a file, and he was almost afraid to open this one. Instead, he put it on the bed next to him. “Just tell me what it says. I got enough surprises for one day.”
    “That says that you’ll leave the premises post haste and never return.” Basil tried to wrap his mind around what he was saying, and Shawn sighed heavily before he could ask him what the heck he’d just said. “You’ll leave the house and the property as soon as you’re released from jail and never return.”
    “I ain’t gonna do that. I got stuff there. That place has been in my family for a long time. What if my kids want it?” Shawn asked him if he had any. “Well, no, but that don’t mean we might not have some one day. Me and Neva just ain’t in a position to bring them into the world just yet.”
    Basil thought he said thank God but wasn’t really sure.