Wolf with Benefits
Page 118
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Toni put her arm around his shoulder. It really doesnt.
Dee-Ann disconnected the call and walked into her house.
Irene had been right about one thing. This break-in to the Jean-Louis Parker house hadnt been . . . minor, but that was all she knew. That there was activity among her full-human brethren. Stone-cold killers like herself who did specialized work for the government. These were not people to fuck with. But if they wanted someone dead, they would have moved by now. So death wasnt what they wanted. It was something else.
And she was going to find out what it was and end it. Because Dee-Ann got a little cranky when pups and cubs were involved. That had always been the line she never crossed when she was in the Marines and definitely not now. Even if it was hyena pups, deadly from birth, she waited until they were at least in their early twenties before she considered taking them on.
Dee walked into her living room.
I was the only word Dee heard before shed pulled her .45, spun, dropped down to one knee, and locked on her target.
heard you were looking for me, the honey badger finished without missing a beat.
With fearless black eyes, Olivia Kowalski stared at Dee. She wasnt challenging her. She wasnt backing away.
Fearless. Yeah. That was exactly it. And just what Dee-Ann needed.
Dee-Ann stood up, put her gun back in the holster. I need to hire you.
I dont kill on order.
I dont need you to kill, darlin. I need you to follow the family business.
I dont do that anymore.
Dont bullshit a bullshitter. Youll get paid. Well.
Why dont you do it?
Dee-Ann shrugged. Not my area of expertise, she admitted. When I get into someones house its for one reason and one reason only.
Is this about whats going on at Tonis house?
No. This is another case. Im dealing with Tonis first. But once Im done with that, Ill need your help. And you wont just be helping me out. This is important work, darlin. Something you can be proud of . . . for once.
Kowalski walked toward the exit. Ill think about it.
Dee waited until the front door closed and she knew the badger was gone. She pulled out her cell phone and speed-dialed Malone.
What up?
Kowalskis in.
She is?
Dee shrugged again. She will be.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Toni rolled over in her bed and stretched.
Morning, she heard Vic Barinov say.
Yanking the sheet up to her chin, Toni sat up in bed and yelled out, Ricky!
Ricky walked out of thebathroom, fresh from a shower, a towel around his waist, shaving cream on one side of his face, and a razor in his hand. Honestly, if Toni hadnt been so freaked out to find Barinov skulking around her bedroom, she would have enjoyed the delicious view. The man looked damn good.
What the holy hell, Vic?
Sorry. Didnt mean to startle you. We have a problem, though.
A problem?
Barinov looked at Toni. Its the twins.
Livy watched her best friend pace back and forth in the ballroom while the EMT guys did what they had to do. She knew that Toni wouldnt handle this well. Nope. Not well at all.
What were you thinking? Toni bellowed. I just dont understand! She leaned down so that she could shake her finger right in the faces of Zoe and Zia. You were bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!
The EMTs were shifters from a shifter hospital, and when one of them said, Brace yourselves, Livy instinctively cringed even before she heard them snap that lion males bone back into place.
Paul rushed into the ballroom with his pet dog by his side. Why is there an ambulance out . . . oh. He briefly watched the EMTs secure Jeff Stewart to a gurney built with bears in mind.
As they wheeled him out, he screamed at Ricky Reed, I expect disability for this, Reed! You understand me? Tell Llewellyn I want disability!
Paul walked up to Livy. What the hell happened?
Im not sure, Livy admitted. I heard him scream and came running in to find him on the floor with a broken leg and the girls sitting there eating Danish.
Tell me thats raspberry on their face.
Its not blood.
Thats something. Paul let out a breath. Did you ask Stewart?
I did. He wouldnt tell me anything, just kept saying This goddamn job isnt worth it. Over and over again.
Toni walked away from her sisters, past Ricky Lee, and over to Livy and Paul.
I seriously cant leave for a night! she complained.
The girls didnt do anything physical to him. I think they just messed with his head. He did the rest to himself.
Paul walked toward his twin daughters. Toni, Ill handle this. You go to work.
But, Dad
No buts. I can handle my own children.
Fine. She kissed her father on the cheek, crouched down, kissed her sisters, then shook her finger at them again. Bad, bad, bad!
Livy followed Ricky and Toni out into the hall. As they walked, Ricky said, Ill get on the phone with Rory and find someone to replace Stewart.
Dee-Ann disconnected the call and walked into her house.
Irene had been right about one thing. This break-in to the Jean-Louis Parker house hadnt been . . . minor, but that was all she knew. That there was activity among her full-human brethren. Stone-cold killers like herself who did specialized work for the government. These were not people to fuck with. But if they wanted someone dead, they would have moved by now. So death wasnt what they wanted. It was something else.
And she was going to find out what it was and end it. Because Dee-Ann got a little cranky when pups and cubs were involved. That had always been the line she never crossed when she was in the Marines and definitely not now. Even if it was hyena pups, deadly from birth, she waited until they were at least in their early twenties before she considered taking them on.
Dee walked into her living room.
I was the only word Dee heard before shed pulled her .45, spun, dropped down to one knee, and locked on her target.
heard you were looking for me, the honey badger finished without missing a beat.
With fearless black eyes, Olivia Kowalski stared at Dee. She wasnt challenging her. She wasnt backing away.
Fearless. Yeah. That was exactly it. And just what Dee-Ann needed.
Dee-Ann stood up, put her gun back in the holster. I need to hire you.
I dont kill on order.
I dont need you to kill, darlin. I need you to follow the family business.
I dont do that anymore.
Dont bullshit a bullshitter. Youll get paid. Well.
Why dont you do it?
Dee-Ann shrugged. Not my area of expertise, she admitted. When I get into someones house its for one reason and one reason only.
Is this about whats going on at Tonis house?
No. This is another case. Im dealing with Tonis first. But once Im done with that, Ill need your help. And you wont just be helping me out. This is important work, darlin. Something you can be proud of . . . for once.
Kowalski walked toward the exit. Ill think about it.
Dee waited until the front door closed and she knew the badger was gone. She pulled out her cell phone and speed-dialed Malone.
What up?
Kowalskis in.
She is?
Dee shrugged again. She will be.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Toni rolled over in her bed and stretched.
Morning, she heard Vic Barinov say.
Yanking the sheet up to her chin, Toni sat up in bed and yelled out, Ricky!
Ricky walked out of thebathroom, fresh from a shower, a towel around his waist, shaving cream on one side of his face, and a razor in his hand. Honestly, if Toni hadnt been so freaked out to find Barinov skulking around her bedroom, she would have enjoyed the delicious view. The man looked damn good.
What the holy hell, Vic?
Sorry. Didnt mean to startle you. We have a problem, though.
A problem?
Barinov looked at Toni. Its the twins.
Livy watched her best friend pace back and forth in the ballroom while the EMT guys did what they had to do. She knew that Toni wouldnt handle this well. Nope. Not well at all.
What were you thinking? Toni bellowed. I just dont understand! She leaned down so that she could shake her finger right in the faces of Zoe and Zia. You were bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad!
The EMTs were shifters from a shifter hospital, and when one of them said, Brace yourselves, Livy instinctively cringed even before she heard them snap that lion males bone back into place.
Paul rushed into the ballroom with his pet dog by his side. Why is there an ambulance out . . . oh. He briefly watched the EMTs secure Jeff Stewart to a gurney built with bears in mind.
As they wheeled him out, he screamed at Ricky Reed, I expect disability for this, Reed! You understand me? Tell Llewellyn I want disability!
Paul walked up to Livy. What the hell happened?
Im not sure, Livy admitted. I heard him scream and came running in to find him on the floor with a broken leg and the girls sitting there eating Danish.
Tell me thats raspberry on their face.
Its not blood.
Thats something. Paul let out a breath. Did you ask Stewart?
I did. He wouldnt tell me anything, just kept saying This goddamn job isnt worth it. Over and over again.
Toni walked away from her sisters, past Ricky Lee, and over to Livy and Paul.
I seriously cant leave for a night! she complained.
The girls didnt do anything physical to him. I think they just messed with his head. He did the rest to himself.
Paul walked toward his twin daughters. Toni, Ill handle this. You go to work.
But, Dad
No buts. I can handle my own children.
Fine. She kissed her father on the cheek, crouched down, kissed her sisters, then shook her finger at them again. Bad, bad, bad!
Livy followed Ricky and Toni out into the hall. As they walked, Ricky said, Ill get on the phone with Rory and find someone to replace Stewart.
