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“Good girl. I should have thought of that.”
Bu
Tabby moved to the door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway. “Hey, Gabe. Any news on Chloe’s case?”
Julian folded his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles. “She’s friends with the sheriff. She’ll get an answer out of him faster than anyone but his mate, especially where Chloe’s concerned.” Julian gave him a speculative look. “She may have lost her family in Georgia, but she found a new one here. You understand?”
Bu
Julian shrugged. “I’m not the only one. There are a number of people who would go to bat for that girl without thinking twice about it. In fact, I think she’d be surprised at how many would.”
“Including the Alpha?”
“Not sure, but I think so. From what I’ve seen, Max is pretty confident and he trusts his hierarchy.”
“And if Gabe says she’s family, he’ll what? Accept that?”
Julian looked mysterious. A streak of palest white flashed through his hair, gone almost as quickly as it appeared. “I think when all is said and done, Tabby’s going to find that she’s got a lot more family than she ever dreamed of.”
Julian and I need to sit down and have a nice, long talk. Soon. “She doesn’t know about the Kermode.” He gri
Julian snorted. “Sure. Can you have it for me?”
Bu
Julian took the white bear and snorted. “Cute. But why the Superman costume?”
Tabby stepped back into the room before he could answer. She looked shaken, wild. Bu
Julian sat up slowly, all of his attention suddenly focused on Tabby. Bu
“Chloe.” She gulped. “She wasn’t hit by a car. They’ve confirmed that the marks on her body are consistent with a beating.” She stepped forward and clasped her arms around Bu
Bu
He’d made sure Julian got home safely, following the cab to the small house on the outskirts of town Julian called home. He’d dropped Tabby off at work immediately afterwards and headed right back to the hospital. He’d been sitting there ever since.
“Go home.”
Bu
His father’s hand landed on his shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking. We’re more alike than you know.” Will pulled Bu
Bu
He’d taken that anger and turned it on the land itself, creating his business with his own two hands. Just as Bu
“Sleep, son. You’re exhausted. You helped heal Chloe. Now it’s time to heal yourself.”
Bu
“And leave the bike here. Take a cab.”
He froze. He never left the bike. That Harley was his baby.
“Maybe you could call your mate and get a ride?”
Now there was a thought. Maybe he’d convince her to come back to the hotel room with him. “Good idea.” Maybe he’d do more than nap, too. He pulled out his cell phone and called Living Art.
“Living Art, Glory speaking.”
“Hey, Glory. Can you put Tabby on?”
“Sure thing.” She sounded so sweet and demure, right up until she screeched at the top of her lungs, “TA-BBY! PHO-ONE!” He pulled the phone away from his ear with a wince. Damn, that girl had a healthy set of lungs.
His father chuckled. “Isn’t that the girl Ryan showed some interest in?”
Bu
“Tabby speaking. How can I help y’all?”
He shivered. That deep drawl washed over him again, his cock perking up with insistent interest. Damn, he’d left her only six hours ago and already he was jonesing for the sight of her. “Can you do me a favor, baby?”
“Sure, sugar. What do you need?”
“Can you come pick me up? I’m exhausted and I’ve been ordered to leave the bike here.”
There was a pause. “I can’t. I’m expecting a customer in about ten minutes.”
He hated to ask, but damn it he was starting to see double he was so exhausted.
He hadn’t slept a wink in that damn hotel room, pacing and worrying about Tabby and Chloe. His mother had taken one look at him and shaken her head, exasperated. “Can one of the other girls give me a lift?”
“I’ll do one better. Wait there, someone will pick you up shortly. And don’t even think about sneaking off on the bike. If you’re tired enough to call me, you’re too tired to ride.”
He could feel himself blushing. “I wasn’t.”
“Good.” She paused. A bell jingled in the background. It sounded a lot like the one attached to Living Art’s front door. “I have to go.”
Bu
“Yeah, I—” Something crashed. “Shit. I will be. Gotta go.” She hung up, leaving him standing there, a red haze of anger rising inside him.
“Something’s happening at Living Art.” Bu
“Trouble?” Will followed him.
“Yeah. Dad, you need to stay here or get Ryan to stay here. I need to head to the tattoo parlor and check up on Tabby.”
“Not in your condition.”
Bu
Will threw his hands up in the air. “I’ll call Ryan, have him meet you there.”
Bu
God help anyone who laid their hands on what was his.
Tabby called 9-1-1, but the damage was done. Someone had thrown something through the window and she had let Bu
Ten to one he was already on his way over here.
“What the fuck?”
She turned to look at the patron who’d entered the store just before the thing came through the window. What the hell was that anyway? It looked like some kind of metal tube. A pipe, maybe? “Ryan?”
He looked over at her, his pale blue eyes turning brown as she watched. “Where’s Glory?”
“Here.” Glory stepped out from behind the curtain, followed closely by Cyn.
He went right to Glory’s side, his gaze roaming over her, his hands twitching at his sides. “What happened?”
“That came through the window.” Tabby pointed toward the metal object. It lay less than a foot from her.
“Oh no! Are you all right?” Cyn was suddenly right there, checking Tabby over for damage.
“I’m fine. I called 9-1-1.”
Ryan’s gaze was glued to Glory. He sniffed and his nose wrinkled in disgust.
“What’s that smell?”
Tabby looked down at the tube, only then noticing the stench begi