Bitter Black Kiss (12 page)

Tears stung Nicole’s eyes, and her face grew hot. Molly was different back then. She was free-spirited and fun-loving.

"I was so confused and scared after I miscarried. It was all I could do to get through each day.” Molly retreated to the other side of the couch.

"Why didn't you tell me? I had no idea about the baby."

“It wasn’t just you. I didn’t tell anyone.”

Nicole pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and fingers. “I shouldn’t have brought it up. I’m sorry.”

Molly wasn’t finished having her say. “Besides, you have no room to judge. Need I remind you of all the things Aaron did to you?” She pushed herself up and stomped down the hall. The slam of her bedroom door was loud in their apartment.

Nicole’s hand searched out the twin crescents on her shoulder and rubbed at them. How could she forget? He’d been attacked at the concert and transformed by the next month. She tried to run, tried to get away, but he’d cornered her. She survived the mauling, just barely.

A few minutes later she left the house in her workout clothes. She didn’t need the car. The beach was only a few blocks away.

Chapter Ten

The next night Brody crept toward the silent, dark houses that lined the shore. The wolf’s scent was faint down at the other end of the beach. As he drew closer to the populated area, it became much stronger. He wrinkled his nose, the scent of dirt and wet animal stung his senses.

He pressed his back against the side of the two-story house. Everything was quiet within and there was no sign of movement. Stone was out of town, but what about Tony? Had he gone too? Maybe Tony waited to ambush him on the other side.

He ducked past the sliding glass doors, crouching next to the closest window. Dark lumps that resembled furniture blotted the shadows. He cupped his hands over his eyes and peered through the glass, hoping for anything that would make the risk worthwhile.

Edging around the north side of the house, he encountered a window that was open. A cream colored curtain obscured his view of the room inside. He leaned as close to the screen as he dared. He sensed no one within.

Brody slipped a pair of gloves over his hands and loosened the screen. He leaned it against the exterior wall. A jitter of anticipation rippled through him as he seized the window and lifted the glass. He’d been waiting for a chance to uncover incriminating evidence that could be used against the city’s favorite son. Never mind that it would be inadmissible in court. At least he’d have a new angle to work.

He eased the window up a few inches more, just enough to slip through. If he slithered inside, there’d be no turning back. With one last look over each shoulder, he made the commitment and crawled through on his belly.

Brody stood statue-still and listened for any indication that he was not alone. The house was silent. There was no creaking floorboards, heartbeats, or anxious breaths but his own. As was the case with most houses, the scents were varied. The most prominent was the odor of sweat and Tony’s crappy cologne. He passed the garbage can at the end of the kitchen counter. His nostrils flared, assaulted by the scent of garlic and onions.

He moved through the house with a sense of stealth and purpose. Sean had been upstairs in the study every night that he watched the house. With any luck, that’s where he’d find what he needed. He just wasn’t sure what it was yet.

The stairway was dark, and no lights lit the upper half of the house. Brody kept close to the wall, just in case he had to make a run for it. He figured he’d be harder to spot if he blended with the shadows. The air upstairs was different. Instead of food and Tony, it was all Stone.

A sense of cleanliness saturated the upstairs hallway. Soap and the crisp scent of aftershave hung in the air. The door to the right was ajar, affording him a peek at Stone’s bedroom. The dark coverlet was pulled tight across the mattress. Not one crease or wrinkle marred its appearance. He couldn’t stop himself. He had to know.

There was no indication that Nicole had been inside this room. Her faint scent hadn’t carried further than the kitchen and living room. Of course, that didn’t mean Stone hadn’t bumped uglies with her on a kitchen counter. He growled in frustration.

He'd been prepared to tell her the ugly truth last night. To ask if they could start over with the truth was his only intention. He hadn't counted on finding Nicole and Stone thrashing about on the sofa. Sickened by the memory, all he knew for sure was that he'd lost the opportunity. Stone won again.

Brody crept into Stone’s office and shut the door. The acrid bite of cigar smoke tingled in his nose.

He edged around the desk. Unopened envelopes, most looked like bills, lay in a neat pile on the desk. Beneath that, lay a stack of documents. He thumbed through the paperwork. It consisted of booze invoices and the payroll. Hoping he’d hit pay dirt, he glanced through the names on each sheet. Tony’s compensation was indecent and raised his brows. Other than that, there wasn’t anything incriminating. He spotted a familiar name on one of the papers in the ruffled stack. Ira Johansen.

Ira was one of the best at digging up dirt on people. Prosecutors ran to him every time their cases looked bleak. Candidates for public office asked for his help to slander their opponent. Ira had carved a comfortable niche for himself and ignored his conscience. That is if he had one. The idea that Stone had requested his services had him worried.

Brody opened each desk drawer. A few folders had been shoved inside the bottom right-hand side.

Instead of the shipment times and dates that he hoped for, the names Molly McNeely, Nicole Riley, and F. Brody Dunn were written in Ira’s messy scrawl.

He opened the file with his name on it. Dread settled in his stomach and left a bitter taste at the back of his throat. He should have been more careful, stayed under their radar. He’d taken a chance and stepped out of the shadows. In order to get to know Nicole, he had to immerse himself in neon and strobe lights. He had tipped Stone off.

There were numerous typed pages, old newspaper clippings and a photograph of him in a police uniform.

Ira ignored the unspoken rule of not snitching on colleagues. For the right amount of money, he provided Stone with Brody’s current address as well as info about his stint as a cop, his arrest record since, and his credentials as a private investigator. He’d even spoken to neighbors who swore Brody had lost control one night and murdered Frank Dunn, his father. If anything could be said about Ira, he was thorough. Brody might pay him a visit later.

He dropped the folder back into the drawer and moved to the next. Molly McNeely’s life took up fewer pages. Though he’d given some background information, Ira had focused on her brief stay at college. The people he’d spoken to about an incident during her junior year included a regretful young man. She just dropped out of school and out of sight. He winced at Ira’s cold, impersonal assessment of what had happened. The picture he’d included depicted a younger, thinner Molly in an oversized letterman’s jacket. There was no date on the back.

Nicole’s folder was the thickest of the three. It contained details that dated back to college up to the point where she started working for Sean Stone. The private eye had even listed her favorite foods, colors and other tidbits of useless information.

Ira had spoken to an Aaron James and learned that they were married at one point. Aaron was infected with the Lycan virus at a venue he and his band played a year ago. The venue Nicole herself had set up. Afterward, Nicole left him. Ira penned a note stating he hadn’t found any divorce papers for the two. A Polaroid held with a red plastic paperclip was attached to the back of the folder. It was a blurry shot of a younger Nicole with a scruffy, long-haired man. Their arms were thrown around each other’s shoulders and goofy smiles adorned their faces. Though the photo wasn’t the best quality, he could just make out balloons and ribbons. A number of excited faces bled into the background. Nicole held a wilted bouquet, and it looked odd with her denim shorts and black tank top. His chest tightened. Nicole’s wedding photo?

Brody shoved the folders back into the desk. His search of the office was fruitless. The phone rang. He flinched away from the racket then cursed himself for being so jumpy.

The machine came on, and Stone’s voice instructed the caller to leave a message.

“Boss, pick up if you’re home. There might be a problem,” Tony paused to give his employer time to snatch the phone from its cradle. “Get out of the house. I think the kid headed your way.”

Pinpricks of warning skittered up Brody’s spine. Stone hadn’t gone out of town, after all. Tony must have followed him, and he hadn’t even realized it. He was such an idiot for getting caught off guard.

He bumped the desk with a knee in his haste to get up. The screensaver on the computer flickered, and a steady image appeared. Looks like Stone had last looked at a newspaper story with details of Hank Alvarez’s death, the foremost dealer in San Diego, and the recent flood of drugs into the city popped up.

Over the last month, San Diego had seen an influx of Beast and its use had risen. The newest form, liquid filled vials, gave the user immediate transformation. Pills weren’t the preferred method anymore. They were slow-acting, allowing the user time to ease into the change. Either way, it was bad news. Humans were dead, syringes hanging from their limp arms or a bottle of pills spilled beside them. Sometimes his kind went nuts and attacked whatever or whoever got in the way. Brody knew Stone was behind it. Stone had to be stopped.

Brody crept into the hallway and navigated back down the stairs. A low, menacing rumble greeted him. He whipped his head around and spotted the glow of animal eyes on the top stair. A canine body jumped off the stairs behind him. He sprinted through the house and didn’t look back.

The bistro set on the patio rattled. The click-click of claws on the hardwood was loud against the backdrop of waves. Brody’s heartbeat sped up, and anxiety rocketed through his body. He’d been slow to catch the scent of wet dog.

His hands gripped the windowsill, one shoulder and head all the way through. That’s when he spotted the shadow crouched just outside.

He froze in mid-motion. The blood in his veins ran hot, then cold. A forgotten syringe hung from its left shoulder.
Fuck!

Brody jerked backward. The creature’s upper body lunged through the window, and its teeth snapped inches from his face. Its claws raked down his leg, and his muzzle snapped at Brody’s pant leg. The wolf was enormous and not fully formed. It resembled a misshapen humanoid creature covered in hair with powerful teeth and claws.

It took hold of his jeans and yanked. Brody threw his hands out to catch himself, but still landed on his ass. He was pulled through the open window and landed at the beast’s feet.

The wolf-man hauled him closer. Saliva pooled around his ankle and dampened his sock. The glint of gold solidified his suspicions.

Brody kicked at the slavering wolf with his free leg. His heel connected with its leathery nose. Tony let go with a yelp. His ears flattened against his head, a snarl warped his muzzle into something ugly. Brody knew he was in deep trouble.

Tony’s body was in full wolf form now. He lunged again, but this time Brody was ready. He rolled to his feet and vaulted off the wooden patio. Tony’s teeth snapped at his back, tearing the shirt away. Brody landed on his feet and stumble-ran for the shelter of darkness.

The other wolf dove out the open window to join them. This one was silvery white in color. It stalked closer with graceful movement.

Tony slashed the space between them. Brody lunged out of the way. His claws narrowly missed him. He went all the way down to the sand, rolled onto his back. Brody kicked out and caught Tony in the gut. The bodyguard stumbled backward, buying Brody a few seconds more.

Brody’s body wanted to change—needed to transform. He fought the urge because he knew it would weaken him for a few moments afterward. If he could just get away, hide or escape, he might be okay.

Tony roared in rage. A porch light a few houses down snapped on to illuminate the beach. Brody sucked in a breath and wished for the hundredth time that he had brought a gun. The house closest to them sprung to life.

“I called the police!” the man next door yelled in a brave voice. A yappy dog backed him up.

Stone threw back his head and howled. Something wild broke loose within Brody. He thrashed against the sand even as Tony’s teeth fastened on his forearm. He knew the change would come, despite efforts to hold it back. He fought it, but his scream turned into a tortured howl. Tony snapped at him again as he scrambled, broken and helpless, around the end of the neighbor’s patio. Inside, the dog and owner fell silent.

Brody gritted his teeth and rode waves of pain. He could feel the coarse hair as it exploded across his skin and face. The pain was intense when his ribcage broke and reformed. The sting at the tips of his ears was familiar as they split then re-knit into points. He sniffed as his nose widened, lengthened and fused with his upper jaw to form a muzzle. The seams of his jeans ripped as his limbs reformed and grew. With a fierce shake, the constricting cloth fell from his body.

Stone and Tony moved in a synchronized motion. Stone latched onto the scruff of his neck. Tony swooped down and gripped one of Brody’s feet. Brody kicked loose and managed to squirm away.

His animal instinct went into overdrive. He could either fight or flee. The smart thing to do was run away and maybe live another day. They made the decision for him.

Stone’s teeth flashed just inches from Brody’s face. Tony slammed him against the side of the house. The people inside screamed. Brody slid down the wall, dazed and shaken. He scrambled to get into a defensive position. A warning growl rumbled deep within his throat.