“I wasn’t looking for her. She just sort of appeared. In Lock’s hallway. I knew then. And you said Aunt Irene is ‘the one.’ ”
“That was luck on her part. That she found me.”
“Then I guess I’m lucky.”
“Okay.” He could imagine his cousin trying to find a different way to approach this. “And what does she say?”
“She mentioned something about her father and a shallow grave with me in it but . . . I think I can win him over, too.”
“You cannot win over Eggie Smith. There is no winning over Eggie Smith.”
“But you told me yourself that I’m charming.”
“You’re also an idiot.”
Ric grinned. “But a charming idiot.”
His cousin hung up on him then, never having patience for his in-love brethren, and Ric finally returned to his bed.
He smiled, seeing Dee-Ann in it. She—and the gun and knife she had under her pillow—fit in perfectly. Ric just didn’t know why no one else seemed to see it. Except Blayne. Blayne saw it, but she seemed to be the only one. Not that it mattered, though. The only one who mattered was Dee-Ann and he was more than willing to work with her on this.
Ric eased into the bed and across it—it was a really big bed—until he was able to snuggle up close to Dee-Ann. He put his arms around her and held her tight.
His eyes were closing, moments from falling asleep when the bear-sized queen bed with its titanium frame—possibly one of the heaviest beds in the world—briefly went up, then crashed back to the floor. Both Ric and Dee pulled their guns, Ric’s from a holster he’d had built directly into the mattress for easy access; and Dee’s from under her pillow. They aimed directly at the foot of the bed, their fingers on the triggers, rounds already in the chambers.
Yet the bear-lion hybrid at the end of the bed showed no fear. He gazed at them as only “The Marauder” Novikov could and said, “I need to borrow a house.”
Did the mutt have any idea how close he’d been to getting shot? Dee had armor-piercing rounds in her gun that were strong enough to go through bear hide.
“You want what?” Ric asked. Poor thing. He’d been up for hours and had just gotten back into bed a few minutes ago. And her exhaustion must have been bone deep for her not to have scented Novikov before he even got into the house. That was definitely not like her at all.
“I need to borrow a house. I know you have several locally.”
“What do you want a house for?”
“Why do you care?”
Dee’s finger tightened on the trigger, her lips pulling back over her fangs. But Ric made her lower the gun, his hand firm against hers, pressing it down onto the bed.
“You have your own houses,” Ric argued. “One with a seal farm.”
“Not around here. And Blayne wants a party.”
“What’s wrong with your apartment? It’s massive.”
“And?”
“Do it there,” Ric reasoned.
“I don’t want people around my stuff.”
“But you want them around mine?”
“I don’t care about yours.”
Dee was reaching for her bowie knife then when Ric pinned her to the bed with his body.
“Why don’t I make this easy for both of us? Instead of turning my home over to you, I’ll just pull something together for all of us.”
“Here?” Novikov looked around the bedroom. “It’s kind of boring here.”
Dee had nearly gotten free of Ric’s grasp by that point, but he caught her in his arms and held her tight. The fact that they were both naked, Dee’s fangs bared and her claws out, while these two strange idiots were still talking like they were having tea and cakes did fascinate the part of her brain not busy trying to kill Bo Novikov.
“It wouldn’t be here. I have my own place out on the Island. Near the beach.”
“Shifter friendly or do I have to keep my fangs in?”
“Shifter friendly, but very exclusive. Lots of room in the house, too, so we’ll all be quite comfortable. There’s even a park and beach nearby. I also have an Olympic-sized pool right in my back—”
“That’ll work.” And Dee had a feeling the hybrid would never leave the pool once he got there.
“Excellent. I’ll get everything organized from my end and e-mail you later in the day.” Ric motioned to the door with his chin. “Now go away. And if you took the door off the hinges to get in here—put it back.”
“You’re not training this morning?” Novikov asked.
Ric yanked Dee back to his lap before she could bury her knife in the hybrid’s throat and snapped, “Novikov!”
“It was just a question.”
Novikov lumbered out as silently as he’d appeared and Dee relaxed back into Ric’s chest. “You should have let me kill him.”
“I need him for the team. It’s the price I’m forced to pay.” Ric brushed the hair off her neck and kissed her throat. “It would make this weekend tolerable if you came with me.”
“I’ll probably have work.”
“Doubtful. And I’ll make sure you don’t get anything thrown at you at the eleventh hour.”
“That don’t seem fair.”
“I don’t care about fair. I care about you relaxing with me on Long Island.”
“With Teacup and Mr. Fussy Pants?”
Ric laughed. “Can I call Novikov that forever?”
“Be my guest.”
“Plus Lock and Gwen will be there.”
“Gwen hates me,” she reminded him.
“Don’t be narcissistic. She hates everyone.”
“You have a point.”
“Besides, when was the last time you had a little vacation from killing stuff?”
“When I left the Marines and before I got this job.”
“But you were staying with your parents—so is that really a vacation?”
Dee shrugged. “I enjoyed it.”
Ric held her tighter. “Come with me.”
Feeling real regret, Dee admitted, “You know I can’t. I gotta be with the Pack.”
“You’re going to Tennessee?”
“Nah. Just to the Shaw house, with the Shaw brothers, my cousins, the New York Smith Pack, and the Kuznetsov Pack. It’ll be hell on earth but . . . it’s family.”
Still holding Dee, Ric moved them both closer to the side of the bed until he could reach his cell phone. He speed dialed someone and smiled at her while he waited for the other end to pick up.
“Morning, Jessica.” He’d called Bobby Ray’s mate and Alpha of the Kuznetsov wild dog Pack? Good Lord, but the man played dirty. “It’s Ric. How are you? Great. Great. Listen, I know this is last minute, but how would you like to come out to my house on the Island for the July Fourth weekend? Uh-huh. Well, you can bring anyone you’d like. I understand, though, if you’d rather spend the weekend with the Shaw brothers. Watching them eat . . . and sleep. That is when they’re not ordering everyone around because it’s their property or they’re snoring while you try to get the baby to sl—oh? Really. Are you sure? That will be wonderful. Blayne, Lock, and Gwen will be there, too. Yes. And the lunkhead, but I’m sure he’ll practically live in the pool, so it’s not like you’ll have to communicate with him in any way. I’m not being mean. I thought everyone called him lunkhead. It’s so fitting,” he finished on a murmur. “All right. Yes. Bring anyone who wants to come. There’s more than enough room. Just send me a list later today so I can get enough food. Great. See you then.”
Ric disconnected the call and grinned at her. “See? Now no excuses.”
She pressed her hand against his forearm and looked into his eyes. “Exactly how big is this house you bought?”
He kissed her shoulder before replying, “Pretty big.”
Holding his son in his arms, Mace Llewellyn tried to stop scowling when Ulrich Van Holtz opened his front door. Of course, anytime Missy was involved, scowling always seemed to be involved.