like
they knew at some point that I’d have to see this.
Why? She looked at him this time,
really looked . Why do you think they were practicing? What did you hear or
see that made you think that? Tell me, Joan, don’t think just say it.
She was laughing when I climbed out the
window and left. I heard her laughter. She looked at him, confused. Dead
women don’t laugh.
She lay down again and watched him. He
didn’t try to fill the silence with small talk and was pretty sure she’d not
tolerate it if he did. Instead, he let her think about whatever it was she was
thinking about while he watched her. After an hour or so she finally spoke
again.
I would like to shift now. If you’ll
just step outside I won’t be able to leave. I can’t stay this way for very long
or I won’t be able to shift back. He started to tell her that was an old
wives tale but didn’t. If she shifted they could leave here soon and he could
take her to his house. He nodded and stood up and walked to the door. Before he
stepped through it, he turned back to her.
“Joan, will you tell me your real name
now?” She watched him for long moments before she answered him. He thanked her
and moved out of the room so she could change, and he contacted Khan.
I need you to find out all you can about
theft’s concerning homes with exotic pets and anything you can find on Jonny Thomas. He repeated it
twice more so that Khan could write it down. She’s coming to my house for
now, and I’ll bring her to you sometime in the next few days.
She trusts you then? Good. We can’t help
her if she won’t let us. How did you get her to open up? You didn’t fuck her
into submission, did you? Khan’s laughter pissed him off a little, and he had
to take a couple of short breaths so he wouldn’t snarl at him.
She’s my mate. I just figured it out
today. That shut him up quickly. He waited for Khan to say something, anything, but he
didn’t. Marc closed off the connection as soon as he heard Jonny moving toward
him.
~~~
She let him lead her to his car. It
wasn’t that she was giving into him, she was just beaten. When he turned onto
the main highway, she looked at him. She tried to think her best way out of
town.
“I think the best solution is for you to
take me to the bus station. I’m pretty sure I have enough money for a ticket to
somewhere. I’ve about four thousand dollars.” He glanced at her but didn’t say
anything. “I have some money here that I’d like you to give to the owner of the
building I was using. I’m not sure how much rent it is but I—”
“I own the buildings on either side of
me. I bought them several years ago with plans of turning them into offices. I
just never got around to it.” She nodded and reached into her bag to get his
money. “And I’m not taking your money, so if that’s what you’re reaching for,
you might as well put it back.”
“But I lived there for almost two months
without paying for anything. I’m not a mooch. I already paid the man I took the
clothes from. He didn’t seem to have any problems taking my money.”
“Did he know you took the clothes and
then eventually paid him back?” She shook her head. “Well I do, and I’m not
taking it. Also, just to give you a heads up, I own The Vintage Shoppe too. And
I’m not taking you to the bus station.”
She looked out the window and wondered
how much a plane ticket was going to cost her when he drove past that exit too.
Jonny turned in her seat and looked at him. He was driving her nuts.
“I demand that you pull over this minute
and let me out. I thought you were going to help me get away. They’re close,
and if you’re with me, he might do something stupid and….” Something he’d said
at the apartment occurred to her. “You said I didn’t recognize that we were the
same. What did you mean by that?”
“Just what you think it means. I’m a
panther too. My entire family is. My parents were full-bloods, and so each of
us boys
they knew at some point that I’d have to see this.
Why? She looked at him this time,
really looked . Why do you think they were practicing? What did you hear or
see that made you think that? Tell me, Joan, don’t think just say it.
She was laughing when I climbed out the
window and left. I heard her laughter. She looked at him, confused. Dead
women don’t laugh.
She lay down again and watched him. He
didn’t try to fill the silence with small talk and was pretty sure she’d not
tolerate it if he did. Instead, he let her think about whatever it was she was
thinking about while he watched her. After an hour or so she finally spoke
again.
I would like to shift now. If you’ll
just step outside I won’t be able to leave. I can’t stay this way for very long
or I won’t be able to shift back. He started to tell her that was an old
wives tale but didn’t. If she shifted they could leave here soon and he could
take her to his house. He nodded and stood up and walked to the door. Before he
stepped through it, he turned back to her.
“Joan, will you tell me your real name
now?” She watched him for long moments before she answered him. He thanked her
and moved out of the room so she could change, and he contacted Khan.
I need you to find out all you can about
theft’s concerning homes with exotic pets and anything you can find on Jonny Thomas. He repeated it
twice more so that Khan could write it down. She’s coming to my house for
now, and I’ll bring her to you sometime in the next few days.
She trusts you then? Good. We can’t help
her if she won’t let us. How did you get her to open up? You didn’t fuck her
into submission, did you? Khan’s laughter pissed him off a little, and he had
to take a couple of short breaths so he wouldn’t snarl at him.
She’s my mate. I just figured it out
today. That shut him up quickly. He waited for Khan to say something, anything, but he
didn’t. Marc closed off the connection as soon as he heard Jonny moving toward
him.
~~~
She let him lead her to his car. It
wasn’t that she was giving into him, she was just beaten. When he turned onto
the main highway, she looked at him. She tried to think her best way out of
town.
“I think the best solution is for you to
take me to the bus station. I’m pretty sure I have enough money for a ticket to
somewhere. I’ve about four thousand dollars.” He glanced at her but didn’t say
anything. “I have some money here that I’d like you to give to the owner of the
building I was using. I’m not sure how much rent it is but I—”
“I own the buildings on either side of
me. I bought them several years ago with plans of turning them into offices. I
just never got around to it.” She nodded and reached into her bag to get his
money. “And I’m not taking your money, so if that’s what you’re reaching for,
you might as well put it back.”
“But I lived there for almost two months
without paying for anything. I’m not a mooch. I already paid the man I took the
clothes from. He didn’t seem to have any problems taking my money.”
“Did he know you took the clothes and
then eventually paid him back?” She shook her head. “Well I do, and I’m not
taking it. Also, just to give you a heads up, I own The Vintage Shoppe too. And
I’m not taking you to the bus station.”
She looked out the window and wondered
how much a plane ticket was going to cost her when he drove past that exit too.
Jonny turned in her seat and looked at him. He was driving her nuts.
“I demand that you pull over this minute
and let me out. I thought you were going to help me get away. They’re close,
and if you’re with me, he might do something stupid and….” Something he’d said
at the apartment occurred to her. “You said I didn’t recognize that we were the
same. What did you mean by that?”
“Just what you think it means. I’m a
panther too. My entire family is. My parents were full-bloods, and so each of
us boys
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