Read Online Heat Rising: A KinKaid Wolf Pack Story by Jessica Lee - Free Book Online

about the Gregorson visit, he’d climbed out of bed an hour later than usual. He wasn’t due to meet with his team ‘til nine anyway and the extra shut-eye had felt damn good. Landry reached over for the shower control and twisted the water off. The moment he popped the door to the stall open, the doorbell rang.
    “Damn!” Whoever was out there needed to think long and hard why they really needed to be at his door before he’d had his coffee. Landry grabbed a towel from the shelf beside the shower, wrapped it around his waist, and padded out toward the front door of his bungalow.
    Nearing the door, Landry slowed. “Who is it?”
    “It’s me.”
    Kaleb. Landry shook his head. He should’ve known it was the male based on the guy’s infamous sense of bad timing.
    Yanking the door open, Landry barked, “What?”
    A smirk that Landry was two seconds away from knocking off Kaleb’s face greeted him. “No caffeine yet?”
    “What was your first clue?”
    “Good thing I thought to bring some with me then.” As if he were a proud cat offering a kill to his master, Kaleb raised the insulated cup in his hand. He shoved it under Landry’s nose. “You’re welcome.”
    Mustering a grunt for a response, Landry followed it with “Fine,” then snagged the cup. “You can live.” He spun, leaving Kaleb on the stoop to manage finding his way inside and closing the front door.
    “Thank you.” Kaleb chuckled. “I appreciate the stay of execution.”
    “I need to get dressed,” Landry stated and kept on his path toward his bedroom. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.
    “Hang on,” Kaleb called out. “Before I forget. I have something for you here.”
    Palming the door jam, Landry came to a halt and glanced over his shoulder. Kaleb reached in the pocket of his black uniform vest and pulled out a small mailer. Landry frowned. He wasn’t expecting anything.
    “I stopped by the front gate on my way over, and one of the guards mentioned this had just been delivered for you.” Kaleb sauntered over to him. “I was heading over here, so I told them I’d drop it off.” He deposited the white package in Landry’s palm. His fingers curled around the reinforced paper, detecting the shape of a small square box beneath the surface.
    “Thanks,” Landry mumbled, searching the outer surface for a return address. A local PO Box address had been penned in the upper corner, but no name. What the hell?
    “I can tell by the look on your face, you weren’t expecting a Secret Santa gift any time soon.”
    “Hmm…no.” Landry turned, aiming back toward his room. “I’ll be right back.”
    “Yeah,” Kaleb responded. “All right.”
    It wasn’t hard to tell his partner was as curious as Landry about what and who had anonymously sent him the package and was annoyed about being shut out. But something inside his gut telegraphed perhaps he should utilize a little discretion when opening his present.
    Landry dropped the mailer on his bed, his cup of coffee on the dresser, and tossed his towel in the general direction of his hamper. On automatic pilot, he yanked on his uniform, his brain churning over the mysterious contents inside the mailer.
    Dressed, he sank onto the mattress, taking the envelope in hand. Landry pulled the tab, opened the sleeve, and shook the contents out onto the bed. The contents spilled onto the bedding followed by a folded note.
    Going for the jewelry-sized box first, Landry plucked it up from the surface with his fingers and gently tugged the black velvet top off. He blinked, staring at the familiar sight of the platinum and black onyx sword pendant and chain he’d lost six months. His gut tightened down on the empty space in his midsection. The last time he’d worn this was the final evening he’d been with Arick Gregorson. Son of a bitch!
    He snatched the paper beside him and flipped it open.
    It was hard to part with this. The piece reminds me of you and the wild nights we shared—dark,