“She was pretty pissed last time.” In fact, she’d run him to his vehicle when he’d told her to back the fuck up from him. Jack was taking her wolf to heart and letting her run the show whenever she needed it. Not that she shifted, but she did let her go just enough to let Granger know that she’d meant business. Just as he was going to get them something else to eat, Jack came into the kitchen, and whatever had happened, it wasn’t going to go well for the other person.
“My father is here.” Luke nodded. “You knew he was here and didn’t tell me. Thanks a whole fucking lot. What if he’d come here? I would have been unprepared to get away.”
“You don’t have to be afraid of him. But I only just found out too. Someone that we know saw him get onto a plane and notified us only after he landed. Dan picked him up at the airport and took him to a hotel. He seems to think you and Allen are going back with him.” Her snort made him laugh. “You’re the big bad wolf that scares police to wet themselves. Your father is going to be a piece of cake. And Allen is still being watched at the hospital. I have two men on him at all times.”
“I’m going to see him today.” Luke knew that, he’d made arrangements for her to have a driver too. “And then I’m going to go and see Max. He’s got my car keys and more stuff he wanted to give me.”
He wanted to tell her to let him take care of it. Needed for her to allow him to handle everything for her, but she would never grow, never feel good about this if he did that. Plus, he was pretty sure she’d kick his ass if he tried. And since Luke was the mayor-elect, having his mate kick his ass would not go over well.
“I want you to not see your sire alone. I’m not telling you that you can’t, just that I don’t want you to. He’s dangerous. When he was ready to board, he had a gun. A friend of ours took it from him when he wasn’t aware.” Luke would have to tell her about Steward too. He was just waiting for the right moment to let her know that not only were there vampires in the world, but one was his good friend. Steward Thomas was a bit…he was a lot strange and an old vampire. “Your sire means you both ill will, and I don’t want you to get hurt when he tries to take you.”
“Sire? You called him that twice. Is it because you don’t think of him as my dad? Neither do I. And I like that. But he has a cane. You have to watch out for that too. He doesn’t think we know, but it’s a sword…sort of. He calls it his pick. And I guess that’s basically what it is. A long shaft of silver that he has sharpened to a point.” Luke wondered what else that man had brought with him when Jack continued. “It’s what he used a few times on men who didn’t deal well with him. Me too once, and I have no idea how many times on Allen. Enough, I suppose, to make him afraid. What kind of person makes their children afraid of them? I never would.”
Luke was looking forward to meeting Mark Wagner. The man was a real piece of work and he for one wanted to see him fail. And he was going to. There was no way in hell that either Allen or Jack was going back with him. Not while he was still breathing. And he sure as shit wasn’t going to hurt them again.
“I have him under surveillance. There are about two dozen wolves in the lobby of the hotel under the guise of working. They are working, but not only at their job.” She nodded and he could feel her tension. Instead of commenting on it, he turned to Dan. “Where is your dad staying? With you?”
“Yeah. He’s driving me nuts too. Not in a bad way, but he wants to work with me. I asked Ellis and he said to give him a job if he really wants it. I don’t guess he’s going back to Anderson/Shelling.” He felt Jack tense up. “They are having some problems there, and he said they’re not long for being in business.”
“They have a lot of good clients there.” Jack got up to pace. “I worked with a lot of them. Personally too. There is some major money to be had if they have to go elsewhere. I wonder what happened.”
“You.” They both looked at Max when he walked in the house. “Hello, darling. I’ve missed you something…holy shit balls, you’ve gone and got yourself a mate.”
“I have.” Jack flushed brightly and looked at him. “This is Luke Emerson. He’s the one that says I’m his mate.”
“You are his, honey.” Luke felt his wolf shift under his skin; not like he wanted to murder the older man, but more like he was finding a friend. He’d never met Max before, but had liked what he’d heard about him. And the fact that he’d saved all of Jack’s things when they were being tossed out made him like him all the better. “I was telling Dan here that the place hasn’t been the same since you left. That client you had? What was his name? He had the dog food. Said to Anderson if you aren’t there any longer, then he was going elsewhere. You should call him up and offer to take him on yourself.”
Luke watched her face. He could tell she wanted to, but only shook her head. As they moved into the other part of the house talking about the man and his company, he looked at Dan. The smile on his face said volumes.
“You can do her up right if I get her to do this, can’t you?” Dan smiled bigger and nodded. “I have to talk to Hunter, but I think he’d go for it. That building in the Walker district would be perfect for her.”
“Nope. The one across from the courthouse would be better. Lots of light, three levels of work area. And there’s enough old crap in it to make her a start on the furniture. It used to be a copier firm about ten years ago.” Dan stood up. “If you get the okay from Hunter, we can start in a few days. Men are begging to work for us now that Emerson is on the company logo.”
“I’m sure they know you are there as well.” Dan only shrugged. “Ellis is a good man. He’ll help you a great deal with getting you on the road to having your own company back. Bigger and better.”
“I know that. Hell, I’m planning on him helping me with it. Talked to Slone and Hunter about some of the things he’s doing now. I like him and I’m proud to be a part of his company.” Dan laughed. “For now. Soon, after I get all I can from him, I’m going to run him out of business.”
As he left the house, Luke contacted Hunter. He set up a meeting for the next morning at his office and went to find his mate. He was just coming into the living room when he heard her tell Max that she’d love to do business as an advertising firm, but she’d never make it with the little money she had. Luke decided to sit her down and have a long conversation about their money. And then take her up to their bedroom and ravage her again. Having a mate was a wonderful thing.
Chapter 9
Hank saw the men wandering around the building when he went to work the next day. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was just after noon, so he wondered how long they’d been there before now. Calling his second in command, the man said he’d not been out since he’d come in that morning.
“I know that you don’t own it if that helps you.” Hank asked him who did. “That Emerson bitch. She bought it about ten years ago when Copious Copies went under. Kinda of liked that place too. They had the best prices on making picture copies.”
And they had been a front to one of his business, too. Along with Conklin, Hank would run stolen items out the back while the owner, a man who had been as stupid as they came, would take a cut off the top. Usually about one percent. And one percent of millions was a good deal of money. But his wifey had caught him with his pants down and his dick buried deep in some customer one day, and they all lost their extra money. She took him for all of it and then some. Last Hank heard he’d died and she was still living off the money.
“You get a couple of men together and find out what they think they’re doing. I don’t remember seeing no permits hanging there when I walked by there last night.” Sam said he’d get right on it. “And call up Osborne and tell him what’s going on. I’m thinking the city has a contract with Osborne in that they do all the city limit shit that needs done.”
If there wasn’t a contract, he’d have one made up that said just what he wanted it to. Them fucking dogs were not going to get anything so far as he was concerned. He was just going into his office when he saw her. The fucking Emerson bitch. She stood up when he started to walk by her.
“You can’t avoid me forever, Chief.” He turned so quickly to tell her off that he spilled his coffee all down the front of him. Her laughter did nothing to improve his already testy mood.
“I’m the chief of police, not some two bit sheriff, Emerson. You’d do well to remember that.” She laughed again and he wanted to slap it off her face. Instead he went into his office and started to slam the door in her face when the fucking mayor stood up. The fucker was at his desk, and he looked like he was measuring it up for someone else. Before he could tell him to get the hell out, Bitch walked in.
“We have an appointment. An hour ago, but we have one.” She sat down in the only other chair, and Hank glared at the mayor. “He’s going to help me explain to you, yet again, the rules this seat has to abide by in order for me to continue to help the city with all the needs they have. As of right now, you and your men are in direct violation of about a dozen laws. Then there are the ones that are laws that you are simply breaking. Like the deplorable cells that are—”
“You think I should give them silk sheets and room service? Hell, woman, I don’t even have that and I’m chief of police.” He thought she said something like “for now” but he didn’t want to ask her to repeat it. “I’m doing what needs to be done to keep law and order in this town. You already crossed the line when you got Conklin arrested. What do you think is going to happen when there is no police here either?”
“Order? The laws enforced? Perhaps we could expect someone to come to work on time. Or even to work a forty hour work week. When was the last time you bothered to be to work during working hours?” He snarled at her and she laughed. “You don’t frighten me, Chief. I have meals that give me more fight than you will when I tangle with you.”
“These are the things we’d like for you to take care of.” The file was in his hand before he could tell the mayor to fuck off. “In there you will also find a list of violations that need to be taken care of right now, as well as a few things that need to be addressed about the condition of the cells. I know firsthand that the mattresses are a bit on the lumpy side and the pillows need to be replaced.”
“Maybe I can put you back down there and you can tell me what you think about that.” Mayor Emerson only smiled as they stood up. “You better watch yourself there, dog. We don’t like your kind around here.”
Hank nearly fell back when the man went from wearing a suit to being completely covered in fur. When he growled at him, standing among his shredded clothing, Hank had a moment where he wondered if he was going to piss himself again. The last time, the bitch had made him when she’d come after him. But this dog looked a good deal meaner than she’d been. And a lot bigger. Hank took a step back and tried to reason with him.
“Nice doggie.” The animal snapped very close to his dick, and the bitch laughed. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Tell him to back the fuck off before I shoot him.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. He’ll have your hand off your wrist before you can get the thing cleared of your holster. And stop calling him a dog. He’s a wolf. A big werewolf. And he’s not very happy with you.” Hank wasn’t too thrilled himself but refrained from saying so. “Sit down and shut up.”
Hank did as she commanded but kept his eye on the dog…wolf. He glanced at her once when she sat down, but otherwise watched the teeth that seemed to grow longer and sharper as the mayor watched him. Hank was pretty sure they weren’t growing, but with this fucking family, who knew what they could do?
“Now what?” She giggled, and he looked at her. “You think this is fucking funny? You come into my office, make me stand when he sits at my desk, and one of you fucking changes into a dog…err, wolf. And now you sit there laughing. This is so going to cost you. When this meeting or whatever the hell you call it is over, I’m going to have every one of my officers hunt you down every time you come out of that fucking mansion of yours. See if I don’t.”
“You do not frighten me, Granger. Few men do, but you are not one of them. And as for your threats, they mean shit right now. In four days an investigator is coming in and going over your books. They were kind enough to start on them several days ago, but now…well, now it seems they have a bunch of questions. Mostly about—”
“You can’t have someone come in here. I demand that you call this off.” She only looked at him with a cocked brow. Hank stood up, and the wolf growled again. “Call them off. I mean it. They’re not going to find shit, and I don’t want them here. This is not going to happen in my town.”
“Your town? I guess you have a reason to think that, but it’s not. And I’m sure you don’t want them here. However, they are coming and, well, I guess we’ll find out. And what do you have to worry about if, as you have so eloquently put it, they aren’t going to find shit?” She leaned back in the chair and stared at him. Hank felt fear tangle with his anger and he tried his best to control it. He knew that if he made even a small movement toward her, he’d be dead. And for some reason, he had his doubts it would be by the wolf. The woman looked like she could have chewed him up and spit him out without even thinking too much about it.
“Let’s start over. I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.” He leaned back and tried to look as relaxed as she seemed to be. “You say they’re coming here. Okay, for what purpose? To get rid of me. That’s not going to happen and we both know that. I’m an elected official and we both know that so long as the people want me here…well, darling, I’m here to stay.”
“They’re looking at the voter registration as well.” His entire body froze up. Blood seemed to stop pumping to his extremities, and his heart felt like it no longer beat. He tried to think over the loud buzzing in his ears, but her words, so softly spoken, were what was going to ruin him, and give him a very long, very hard prison sentence. “I can see by your face that you’re thinking this isn’t going to go well. Did you know that my name, as well as several hundred others, are on that list as voting for you? I’m reasonably sure that I didn’t vote for you. A few of the names also turned out to be dead men. How do you suppose that happened?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But he did. Voter fraud was a huge thing to the state and bigger to the country. He was fucked if they even knew half the names on the list. There was a stiff penalty for each and every name he’d used. “I’m not sure I want to continue this meeting without a lawyer.”
She stood up after nodding to him. The wolf stood there for several seconds more before he turned and looked at the bitch. When she smiled, Hank felt the hair on his neck dance.
“He said to tell you that for each case of fraud the penalty is two grand as well as five years in prison. For each one. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be very old if not long dead before you can get out.” She turned her back on him and Hank wanted to get up and tear her throat out. But the wolf stared at him. As soon as she left the wolf moved toward him and sniffed his leg. Then the fucking bastard turned and pissed on him. Hank was too stunned to react, and it wasn’t until after the dog left him standing there with wet shoes and stained pants that every curse word he knew and some he made up came vomiting from his mouth. Hank was going to kill these people if it was the last thing he did.
~~~
“Hello? Is this Jack Emerson?” Jack tried to recognize the voice, but all she could think of was being called Emerson. “I was given this number by Luke.”
“This is Jack.” She didn’t confirm the Emerson part, but she was going to talk to Luke about it. “I’m not sure who this is. I’m sorry.”
“Course you don’t. When we worked together I never met you. There was always…never mind that. I’m Kyle Sweet. I have the Sweet Puppy Company.” She sat up straighter in her chair and looked at Audra Bates, the new cook, when she handed her a pad of paper. “I was wondering if you and I can sit down and have a little pow-wow? I have heard that you’re setting up shop on your own and I want to get in on the ground floor. And I got a feeling that as soon as it’s out there, you’re going to have to run clients off with a shotgun. Damn, I’m glad I found you.”
“Ground floor?” He laughed, and Jack flushed. “I’m not really sure what you mean, Mr. Sweet. I thought you were working with Anderson/Shelling. I used to work for them, but I’ve been…well, dismissed.”
“I heard about that. Sure, we all did. How you were taking on more than you could chew up. I even heard one rumor that you were dead. Not any more true than you being carried by that company for a lot of years. He tried to tell me that they’d been…well, they’d been working to figure out how to let you go for years. Moron. What does he take me for, a fool? I’m not, let me tell you that.” He laughed this time and it sounded slightly bitter. “Me and a few of their clients have left them. Breach of contract and all. Did you know that in a meeting with them just last week they had the nerve to tell me that I’d have to wait on my new product advertising? Said it was due to them downsizing. Downsizing my ass. They’re losing clients like it’s a house fire and every man for themselves.”
“But what does this have to do with me?” She looked up when Luke sat down beside her. He was dressed for work, and she thought about mussing him again. As soon as the thought popped into her head, he leaned in and nibbled at her neck. She was sure that Mr. Sweet heard her when she moaned. Luke could do things to her that had her doubting she wasn’t a sexual deviant.
“I want to hire you. Be one of your first customers. I got me a feeling you won’t be downsizing anytime soon, nor will you put more on your plate than you can handle.” She told him she would never do that. “Good. I’ll be in your little town tomorrow. I have reservations at the hotel there in town, and that nice husband of yours is making sure that everything is set up on my end too. Been talking to a man…what was his name? Wagner, Allen. Nice man. Gonna try and steal him away when I’m there too.”
“Tomorrow?” She was having a hard time concentrating and reached out to grab Luke by the balls. When he rocked into her hands, she tightened her grip on him and he stopped. “Tomorrow you’ll be in town?”
“Good, good. I’ll see you then.” He hung up before she could ask him for what. As Luke moved back from her, his balls protected by his hand now, Jack glared at him.
“There are a number of things I’d like to discuss with you.” He grinned. “And if you think that charming grin will get you laid, you’re fucking nuts. Why is Kyle Sweet coming to see me tomorrow to get in on the ground floor of my business when I have no idea what he’s talking about? And why am I Jack Emerson? I don’t remember anyone asking me or me saying yes to marrying you. And so you know, now would not be a good time to ask.”
“I meant to talk to you about it last night, but you got me off track.” He ran his hand up her knee to her thigh. “If you want to go up and get me off again, I’ll be more than glad to let you.”
“Behave.” She looked at Audra, who laughed and left them alone. “What is she going to think? I’m betting right now she’s thinking she’s made a horrible mistake coming here. And damn it, I like her sweet rolls. And don’t try to change the subject. What did he mean?”
“We have a building downtown. In fact, we have several. I bought two off of Slone just last month, and the other I got in a public auction. Contents included. I’ve had Dan go in and look it over, and he said it would be perfect for you.” Her first thoughts were he was moving her out of his house, but he continued before she could ask him what she’d done. “There is plenty of light for you, all natural, and he said that adding more work stations as well as lighting would be no problem. Also there is adequate parking in the rear for your employees. As well as enough rooms for you to—”
“Wait.” He stopped talking and grinned again. “Employees? I have no clue what you’re talking about. I don’t have anyone….” Then it hit her. Mr. Sweet, the building, as well as workstations all fell into place. Her breathing hurt, her head spun, and before she could do much more than try to learn to breathe again, her head was between her legs and she was staring at his feet.