Desert Bound

  After a while, the bear sat, its giant chest heaving in the night. Then it blinked and Alex saw his friend reemerge from the boar-rage.

  The bear shook his head, then shifted and the giant man lay back in the dust, staring into the night.

  “Fuck,” he groaned. “Your teeth hurt like hell.”

  Alex shifted right after him. “I’m surprised you didn’t break my leg.”

  He sat with his back against a rock, watching Ollie. Making sure the anger had burned down to something he could control.

  “You okay?”

  “No, I’m not fucking okay, Alex.”

  “You going to kill anything?”

  “Other than Joe fucking Russell when I get my hands on him?”

  “Your mom hear you use language like that, Campbell?”

  Ollie said nothing, just raised a hand and flipped him off. Alex grinned through the pain.

  “I forget how strong you are,” he said on a grunt, stretching out his legs and rubbing his knee. “When was the last time we had to do this?”

  Ollie’s voice got quiet. “When Loralie was born.”

  When Joe hadn’t even shown up at the hospital.

  “He’s gone now.”

  “He better be, because if he comes back, I’ll kill him.”

  It wasn’t said as a boast or a threat. Just a statement of fact. If Joe Russell stepped foot in Cambio Springs again, Oliver Campbell, pillar of the community, would kill him.

  And Alex had not a doubt in his mind that this would happen.

  “He gave her that shit, Alex.”

  “We don’t know that.”

  “I do. Think back to high school. You ever think of trying anything with Allie?”

  “No. I was always thinking about Ted.”

  “Pretend you’re sixteen for a minute.”

  He thought back and realized that yeah, he’d looked. Allie had a fantastic ass and curves for days. But Ollie was right. He’d never, ever have gone there. Not with Allie. Neither had Sean. None of them had, though Ollie had probably been in love with her even back then.

  “No,” Alex said. “You’re right. None of us would have tried anything.”

  “Allison Smith was one of the sweetest, cutest girls at school. And not a single one of us would have gone there with her, because that wasn’t Allie. She was shy about boys. Always. Not in a bad way, just her own way. And two months after Joe Russell hooks up with her, he’s gone there, hooked her in, and didn’t let her go. He wanted it. She gave it to him. Now, think about sixteen year old Allie and tell me that doesn’t sound off to you.”

  “Man, we have no idea what went on back then.”

  “Maybe I need to hunt him down and find out.”

  “Ollie—”

  “I can do it, Alex. And I would not have a problem finishing the job.”

  Alex fell silent and thought about the best way to get Ollie back on track. Joe might have been trash, but he didn’t need to be dead. He just needed to be out of Allie’s life. For good. And not in a way that made Ollie a murderer.

  “You think Allie needs you off hunting her ex or around her, helping her and the kids out?”

  “I think I can’t be around the woman and think straight, so maybe I need to be gone for a while.”

  Ollie didn’t need to be gone. He just didn’t know what to do with the emotion he was feeling. Because despite the fact that Alex was in love with Ted, Allie was family. And what Alex felt was rage, confusion, and guilt for not seeing things that were right in front of him for years. He couldn’t even imagine what Ollie felt.

  “You need to be here for her, Ollie. Get a grip on it. Be there for the kids. I know Kevin spends a lot of time with you. What would it do to him if you left town right now?”

  “Fuck you, Alex.”

  “Fine. Whatever. But you know I’m right. Get it under control and do what you need to do. What you don’t need to do is go hunting right now.”

  “Do you think he had a hand in Marcus’s death?”

  “I think…” All of a sudden, it clicked into place. “I think he spent a lot of time at casinos.”

  “So?”

  “And so does Chris Avery.”

  “Almost every weekend.” Ollie sat up. “You said Avery was on a job at the river when Marcus was killed?”

  “Yeah.”

  Ollie fell silent for a moment. “Find Joe. Find out if he knows Avery. And do not tell me where he is if you want him to be breathing.”

  “Did he look as bad as you?”

  Ted was kneeling by him as he sat on the couch, wrapping the knee that Ollie had wrenched. Shifting had pulled the bones back into place, but the muscles were still swollen. And his face was still cut up. He also had a few gashes on his side from Ollie’s claws, but they weren’t serious and were already healing.

  “I think he looks worse, but he feels better.” He flinched a little when she tightened the bandage. Then she grabbed the bag of ice and plopped it on his knee.

  “Keep it on there. Even if it aches.”

  “Yes, doctor.”

  The corner of her mouth turned up. “Be a good patient, and we’ll play a fun game of doctor when that knee’s healed.”

  “You know, I’m really not all that injured.”

  She leaned down and let her lips brush his as she whispered, “You’re going to need to be at one hundred percent for this game, wolf.”

  “Understood.” He stole a quick kiss before she stood and held out her hand.

  “Come on. Bed. We’ve both got work tomorrow, so we need some rest.”

  “Right.” He managed to get up while still keeping the ice on his knee. By morning, the swelling would be mostly better, but it would be sore for a few days. No one knew why bones healed so quickly, but muscles didn’t. Ted speculated that it had something to do with their skeletal systems being more fluid than their musculature, but he had no idea what the actual science was. No one did.

  She lay down in bed and pulled the covers down. “How was Ollie when you left?”

  “Pissed off, but under control.”

  “Hurt,” she said quietly.

  “What?”

  “He hurts for her.” She curled into his side and his arm came around her shoulders. “That man would take twice her pain if it would spare her any. And he can’t. He hurts for her.”

  “Yeah,” he whispered, gathering her close. “That’s what you do for someone you love, Tea.”

  “I want Allie to understand that.”

  “Has to be in her own time.”

  She yawned and he felt her exhaustion in his bones.

  “Sleep.”

  “Night, querido. Love you.”

  Alex smiled. He felt that in his bones, too.

  The next day, Alex took off at lunch to meet Devin Moon at the casino restaurant on the river. The hard sound of slot machines hit him as soon as he opened the door.

  Yep. He hated that sound.

  Still, the steak house was pretty good and Dev was already there, gulping down a cup of coffee, his jacket hanging on the pole by the door.

  “McCann.”

  “Moon.”

  They eyed each other for a moment, then the waitress came over and Alex ordered a coffee, too. It was starting to get cold, even when the sun was out.

  “I hear you and Ted are back together,” Dev said.

  “Yep.”

  A smile twisted the corner of the man’s face. If it was anyone but his woman, Alex would have no problem with Devin Moon. He knew the town’s secrets, like many of the tribal elders on the Colorado River, but he kept them. He was a sheriff’s deputy and good at his job. Trustworthy. He was a good man.

  It hadn’t stopped Alex from doing everything in his power to step on him when Dev had tried for a relationship with Ted.

  “No one else ever stood a chance with her,” Dev muttered.

  “Nope.”

  “You’re an asshole, McCann.”

  “Only to people trying to take what?
??s mine. Other than that, I’ve got no problem with you.”

  “Ted let you get away with that possessive bullshit?”

  “She may not like it, but she gets it.”

  “Yeah.” Dev nodded. “If we’re done braiding hair, why don’t you tell me why you wanted lunch.”

  He opened his menu and glanced at it as the waitress came by to get his drink order.

  Coffee. He couldn’t decide about the food.

  “Chris Avery. You know him?”

  Dev narrowed his eyes. “Know I checked him out when I started seeing his ass in this casino every other weekend.”

  “His company did the land leveling on the addition to the tribal offices. He oversaw the job.”

  Dev nodded.

  “He was also Marcus Quinn’s brother in law. Fifty percent partner in business with him.”

  “I hadn’t put it together, but okay.” Dev sipped his coffee. “This guy seems like a weasel to me, but you think he had something to do with Marcus’s murder?”

  “Don’t know. Trying to figure out how much he knew about us.”

  “About…?”

  “Yeah.” Alex leaned forward. “His sister says she hasn’t shared. Doesn’t think he should know. But if there were guys at your site who knew—and knew he and Marcus were family—they might not have been as discreet as they normally are, you know?”

  “Yeah.” Dev sat back in the booth. “I’ll ask around.”

  “It’d be appreciated.”

  Dev narrowed his eyes and watched as the waitress set the mug down in front of Alex. He took a sip, then set it down to cool.

  “He still hangs out around here,” Alex said.

  “Yeah, I see him around.”

  “Anything… notable?”

  “The people Avery hangs with now are not the most wholesome, but they’re not criminal, either. If that’s what you’re wondering. They’re also exclusively female, if you catch my meaning.”

  “Who does he hang with?”

  Devin shrugged. “No professionals. But he has a type, and it’s not far from it.”

  “The man dresses like a Mormon missionary.”

  “Trust me when I say he does not act that way.”

  Alex paused to try the coffee again. Still too hot. “You ever seen Chris Avery hanging out with Joe Smith?”

  “Allie’s Joe?”

  “Not Allie’s Joe anymore. He’s gone.”

  Dev let out a breath. “Thank fuck for that. She’s a good woman. Doesn’t deserve that shit.”

  “You ever see Joe and Avery together?”

  Dev frowned. “Yeah. Didn’t even think about it until you asked, but they did hang for a while. When Avery was working that job down here, Joe got friendly with some of his crew. You know how he could be. Joe could make friends with anyone if he wanted to. I saw them hanging out. Laughing it up a few times around here. Joe liked to gamble.”

  “Trust me, I know.”

  Tried the coffee again. Finally. Drinkable. He let the caffeine roll through him.

  Dev leaned forward and said in a lower voice, “Are you telling me Joe had something to do with Marcus?”

  Alex knew he would hate that for Allie’s sake, because he was a good guy. And Dev wouldn’t think twice about handing Joe over to the council in the Springs. Despite his badge, he understood how things worked because Alex suspected, for some things, Devin worked just the same.

  “I don’t know. Can you ask around? See if anyone in that crowd has heard from him lately? He was in Orange County a while back, but he doesn’t know anyone down there well enough to crash for long. And he doesn’t have much money, unless he’s getting it from alternate sources. I’m asking around. Caleb is, too. We need to find him. Have a few questions about him and Avery.”

  “And Marcus?”

  “It might have something to do with that. If you want more, call Caleb.”

  “Got it.”

  Looking at Devin, Alex expected Caleb would be getting a call soon.

  “And Dev, if Ollie Campbell comes around looking for Joe, do not give him any information.”

  Dev raised an eyebrow. “You going to give me a reason that I should hold that back from someone I consider a friend?”

  “Because I consider him a friend, too. And if you’re his friend, you want to avoid giving him any information about Joe Smith.”

  Dev locked eyes with him for a moment, read the situation like Alex knew he would, and said no more. He nodded and looked down at the menu.

  “You actually going to sit here and eat with me, McCann?”

  “No, I’m going to get a prime rib sandwich to go and head back to work.”

  “Counter’s that way.” Dev nodded toward it. “I’ll call you or Caleb if I have anything.”

  And that was that. He and Devin Moon were never going to be best friends, but he figured they’d be okay.

  By the time he got back out to his truck, sandwich packed into a to-go container, Alex was ready to go home. He’d had an early morning. The ground work on the resort was a day or two from done, and he ached from the fight with Ollie. He wanted to go to Ted’s place, eat lunch, and fall asleep. If he was lucky, she’d wake him with something sweet when she got home.

  He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and closed his eyes. He knew—just knew—whoever was texting him was going to mess up his perfect plans for this afternoon. He pulled the phone out anyway.

  Hopkin’s Ravine. Pack meeting. Midnight.

  The text from his father raised the hairs on the back of Alex’s neck.

  He texted back, I’ll be there.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ted finished the exam and smiled at Kasey Quinn. “You’re all set.”

  “Thanks, Doctor Vasquez.”

  “You’re welcome. Do I pass?”

  “Yeah.” The girl blushed slightly. “I like your games out in the waiting room.”

  Josie Quinn had brought the kids in for a routine physical at Ted’s recommendation. They were due for one, and if she was going to be their new doctor, she wanted to meet the kids so they were comfortable with her before they got sick.

  “Your brothers are probably messing everything up out there, huh?”

  “Probably.”

  “You going to have to clean it up?”

  “Naw.” She shook her head. “I’ll make them do it. If I don’t, they’ll just do it again.”

  Ted smiled. Josie’s oldest could have walked into town with a total stranger, and Ted would have known she was a Quinn. She had the same dark hair and light eyes as Sean, and she was going to be tall. She was still young, but signs of early development were there. She’d be sure to talk to Josie, because Kasey could shift sooner than expected. And when that shift might be into a venomous snake, you had to be careful. Young snakes had more potent venom than older ones and tended to strike out if they were panicked.

  “Do you have any questions?”

  “I think I’m okay.”

  “You sure?”

  Kasey blinked. “Is something wrong?”

  “No.” Ted sat on her stool so she was eye to eye with the girl. “It’s just that I’m your doctor, I’m a girl, and I’m also a shifter. So you don’t have to have any secrets with me. I have been through it all.”

  That got her a smile, so Ted continued.

  “I know it’s got to be tough, losing your dad.” Kasey’s tears welled up immediately, and Ted reached for a tissue on the desk behind her. “I lost mine when I was grown up, and it still hurt. So much. And your mom seems pretty awesome to me—I can tell you guys are close—but she’s not a shifter. And your dad is gone. So I just want you to know, if you ever have any questions about what your first shift might be like, or other things that are happening with your body as you get older, you can always ask me. Okay?”

  The girl nodded quickly. “Thanks.”

  “Promise me you’ll ask me? If you get nervous about something? Or even just curious.”

  “I promise
, Doctor Vasquez.”

  “Thanks, Kasey.” She squeezed her hand and gave the girl another tissue. “So, think about it. Is there anything you’re curious about now? Or worried about?”

  “Well…”

  Ted was glad she’d asked, because there was obviously something on the girl’s mind.

  “There’s no silly questions, okay?”

  “Is there any way to know what I’ll shift into?”

  “Nope.” Ted frowned. “And every kid wonders. I did. But there’s no way of knowing. It’s most common to shift into something the same or similar to your parents. So it’s very likely you’ll shift into a snake, but there’s no way of knowing what kind.”

  “What kind was my dad?”

  “King snake.” Ted grinned. “I saw him a couple times. Awesome. He was really cool looking.”

  A hesitant smile tilted the corner of her mouth. “Yeah? When he told me, I kind of wished I was going to be a cat or a bird or something. Snakes just seem so… weird.”

  “No way. Reptile shifters are some of the most interesting shifters in the Springs. Some of the strongest predators and the smartest. I’m not one, but from talking with patients, I’d say that reptiles have the strongest instincts in animal form. Combine that with your human intelligence? That’s way cool.”

  “Will I still be me?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Would I ever… bite someone without meaning to? My brothers or something?” The girl was getting upset. Ted could tell she’d been worried about this, and she was doubly glad that Josie had brought her daughter in.

  “That’s a really good question, Kasey.” Ted spoke in her most soothing kid-doctor voice. “I’m glad you asked me.”

  “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  “It’s very unlikely you will. And I’ll make sure to talk with your mom. You could bite someone if you got scared. Especially when you first start shifting. But after a little while, you’ll adapt and you’ll start to recognize the signs. You’ll be able to tell when you need to shift—like at the full moon—and when you just kind of want to. And you’ll learn to control it. That way you can make sure you’re in a place where you feel safe.”