The Purrfect Predicament (Australian Shifters) by Angela Castle Page B
Authors: Angela Castle
Tags: Fiction
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I thought he was crazy, but he was so sweet and persistent. I gave in and we went for coffee. The thought of anyone liking me, especially someone as handsome as Neil…"
"We seemed to share similar interests, reading and art. We were both kind of shy geeks. We went out on dates, shared stories and kissed. But that's as far as it ever went. He told me he wanted to meet my family before we progressed further in our relationship. So I took him to The Rosso family restaurant to meet Dad at the time I knew he would be there."
"I remember it was Friday night, the place was busy, but the Rosso family had their own section, and the family never paid for anything. Danny Rosso, is head of the family. He was there that night too and Neil met both him and Dad. The three of them got on really well. Dad seemed happy I'd finally got a boyfriend, and I was more than keen to deepen our relationship. The guys just kept talking until it grew late, and I wanted to go home. But no one seemed to want to leave, so I left them to it and went home alone."
"The next day Neil picked a fight with me, over something stupid. I can't even remember what it was. But we broke up. I don't know what happened after that, but not long after, he started working for Danny Rosso. Within a few months, he was managing one of Rosso's stores, not far from the Rosso restaurant where I was still working part time."
"Asshole." She heard Hamish hiss under his breath and hid her smile.
"Well as it turned out, Neil was actually an undercover cop, trying to dig up dirt on Rosso and my dad's illegal activities. Neil pretended to be my boyfriend, using me to get his evidence. Of course it took a few months before Rosso and Dad found out."
"No wonder the cops are out for blood," Forrester said, "Bloody Bill is a cop killer."
Juniper nodded. "My dad thought I was in on it. He'd called me up one evening, on my night off, asking me to come pick him up from one of the Rosso warehouses, as his car had died. Like a dutiful daughter, I went out to get him. I'd parked around the front and walked around the back to meet my dad, then spotted Neil. Still heartbroken over our break up, I ducked behind a dumpster, not wanting to have to confront him. I thought I'd just wait until he left. I could hear them arguing. Neil starts begging, which I thought was strange. I peered around the dumpster and saw the flash of the knife before Dad plunged it straight into Neil's stomach. He did it again and again. Neil crumpled to the floor in a bloody heap. My dad had a smile on his face, like he was enjoying slicing Neil up. I must have made a sound because my dad looked up straight at me.
" 'You're late Juni,' he said and bent down to wipe the blood off the knife, using a clean part of Neil's jacket before he stood straight and advanced on me. I realized that was why he'd called me to come pick him up. I could tell by his face he was going to kill me too."
"Shit." Hamish pulled her into his lap cradling her like a baby; her whole body trembled in his arms.
"I ran, and went straight to the police." Juniper swallowed down the lump in her throat, grateful for the warm comfort of Hamish's body. "They put me into protective custody; took me to a house in Melbourne to wait until they put together the trial. They assigned two officers to protect me. They were nice. But it wasn't enough. I don't know how, but Dad found us anyway. Late one night, he'd broken in. There was a scuffle. Officer Wurst yanked me out of bed and told me to run. But it was too late; Dad shot him as he shoved me towards the door. The second bullet hit me, and I blacked out. When I woke up in the hospital, the cops said the bullet had narrowly missed my heart, but had gone clean through."
"That's where the police files end," Forrester stated. "How did you escape the hospital?"
She sighed. "I knew Dad wouldn't stop until I was really dead. The first officers couldn't protect me, and I didn't want anyone else to get hurt. The
"We seemed to share similar interests, reading and art. We were both kind of shy geeks. We went out on dates, shared stories and kissed. But that's as far as it ever went. He told me he wanted to meet my family before we progressed further in our relationship. So I took him to The Rosso family restaurant to meet Dad at the time I knew he would be there."
"I remember it was Friday night, the place was busy, but the Rosso family had their own section, and the family never paid for anything. Danny Rosso, is head of the family. He was there that night too and Neil met both him and Dad. The three of them got on really well. Dad seemed happy I'd finally got a boyfriend, and I was more than keen to deepen our relationship. The guys just kept talking until it grew late, and I wanted to go home. But no one seemed to want to leave, so I left them to it and went home alone."
"The next day Neil picked a fight with me, over something stupid. I can't even remember what it was. But we broke up. I don't know what happened after that, but not long after, he started working for Danny Rosso. Within a few months, he was managing one of Rosso's stores, not far from the Rosso restaurant where I was still working part time."
"Asshole." She heard Hamish hiss under his breath and hid her smile.
"Well as it turned out, Neil was actually an undercover cop, trying to dig up dirt on Rosso and my dad's illegal activities. Neil pretended to be my boyfriend, using me to get his evidence. Of course it took a few months before Rosso and Dad found out."
"No wonder the cops are out for blood," Forrester said, "Bloody Bill is a cop killer."
Juniper nodded. "My dad thought I was in on it. He'd called me up one evening, on my night off, asking me to come pick him up from one of the Rosso warehouses, as his car had died. Like a dutiful daughter, I went out to get him. I'd parked around the front and walked around the back to meet my dad, then spotted Neil. Still heartbroken over our break up, I ducked behind a dumpster, not wanting to have to confront him. I thought I'd just wait until he left. I could hear them arguing. Neil starts begging, which I thought was strange. I peered around the dumpster and saw the flash of the knife before Dad plunged it straight into Neil's stomach. He did it again and again. Neil crumpled to the floor in a bloody heap. My dad had a smile on his face, like he was enjoying slicing Neil up. I must have made a sound because my dad looked up straight at me.
" 'You're late Juni,' he said and bent down to wipe the blood off the knife, using a clean part of Neil's jacket before he stood straight and advanced on me. I realized that was why he'd called me to come pick him up. I could tell by his face he was going to kill me too."
"Shit." Hamish pulled her into his lap cradling her like a baby; her whole body trembled in his arms.
"I ran, and went straight to the police." Juniper swallowed down the lump in her throat, grateful for the warm comfort of Hamish's body. "They put me into protective custody; took me to a house in Melbourne to wait until they put together the trial. They assigned two officers to protect me. They were nice. But it wasn't enough. I don't know how, but Dad found us anyway. Late one night, he'd broken in. There was a scuffle. Officer Wurst yanked me out of bed and told me to run. But it was too late; Dad shot him as he shoved me towards the door. The second bullet hit me, and I blacked out. When I woke up in the hospital, the cops said the bullet had narrowly missed my heart, but had gone clean through."
"That's where the police files end," Forrester stated. "How did you escape the hospital?"
She sighed. "I knew Dad wouldn't stop until I was really dead. The first officers couldn't protect me, and I didn't want anyone else to get hurt. The
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