Chapter 2 #2
I gave him a dirty look. As I went to get in the vehicle, Keir held out his hand as if to assist me.
I ignored it. Grabbing the “oh shit” handle inside the door, I hoisted my tired ass up on the seat.
Gal was already in the back, without a care in the world, as Keir shut my door and rounded the SUV.
He got inside and started it up. Without a word, we took off.
As he drove, I covertly studied him. He was talking to Gal about the upcoming Super Bowl. I tuned that out. Instead, I cataloged Keir. He was tall. I would guess, based on the brief time I was next to him, that he was a couple of inches over six feet. That would make him a foot taller than me.
In the brief light of the SUV’s overhead, I saw his skin was tanned by the sun, but it was clearly a light color, a few shades darker than mine.
His face was rugged, and his bold nose fit his features.
His eyes were an intense green. His hair was thick and longer on top, with short sides.
A full beard and mustache covered his lower face.
What struck me about it was the color. It was a dark golden red, much darker than strawberry blond, but such a beautiful shade.
I had a weakness for men who had red hair.
I found them incredibly attractive, probably due to my Irish heritage.
Another peek had me checking out his body.
He was dressed in a casual T-shirt, boots, and jeans.
Nothing extraordinary, but the way they molded his body showed, along with his arms, that he was very muscular and strong.
I wondered what his leopard looked like.
Given his human side, I bet he was one of the larger breeds – Arabian, Indian, or Persian.
He’d probably come in at two hundred pounds or more.
My perusal was halted when Keir shifted his conversation from my brother to me.
“So, are you done checking me over? Did I pass inspection?” he asked, with amusement evident in his voice.
My face flushed hot, but thankfully, the SUV was dark so that he wouldn’t notice. I didn’t hide from what he said. I jutted out my chin and held my head high as I met his gaze. He was turned toward me.
“Keep your eyes on the road. I don’t want to die tonight if at all possible.
As for my inspection, yes, I am. I was determining how big a threat you are and where it would be best to shoot you.
The head and heart are always two great spots, but not the only ones.
Of course, if I did that, we’d probably crash, so I calculated the probability of my surviving it.
Gal is more protected in the back. I doubt I can grab the wheel and control the vehicle while still holding the gun.
I wouldn’t want to give you a chance to overpower me as you’re dying. ”
Surprise, then a troubled look passed over his face. “You’d risk dying to kill me? Risk your brother?” he asked harshly.
“If it came down to you or us, yes, I would. Better to die on my terms than yours. You might’ve convinced my brother and granddad that you’re harmless, but I’ll have to be convinced. And I’ll be a tough sell. I’m not sure why you’re with my brother or at our home. Why don’t you tell me?” I asked.
Keir was silent for a few heartbeats, then he shook his head. “I’ll wait until we’re home, where we can sit, face-to-face, and discuss this calmly. You’ll see that you’re overreacting. I’m not a danger to you or your family.” There was a growly undertone to his words.
“We’ll see,” I said, then turned my head to face forward, but I kept my eyes turned sideways.
“Fi, you’re being ridiculous. I swear, you working for the cops makes you suspicious of everyone,” Gal complained.
“No, it makes me realistic, Gal. If you saw and heard what I do, you would know how truly dangerous the world is. Then add to it being one of us, and it’s doubly so. You’re too trusting,” I replied.
He huffed, then went quiet. The rest of our drive passed in uneasy silence.
Fortunately, our house was barely twenty minutes from the precinct at this time of night, thanks to the lack of traffic.
I steeled myself to find out what the hell was going on.
Who was this Keir and his friend? Unease stayed with me as I thought of Granddad alone with a stranger.
However, Danu was purring and kept insisting Keir was here for us. I ignored her.
?
When we arrived at home, I didn’t wait for the vehicle to shut off.
I opened the door, hopped out, and raced to the front door.
I had my gun in one hand and my key in the other.
The key proved unnecessary. I was a foot away from the door, with footsteps and mumbled curses thundering after me, when it swung open.
But it wasn’t my granddad standing there.
It was another stranger. As his scent hit me, I knew he was a shifter or something like us, but I didn’t recognize what. That reality made me skid to a halt.
Unfamiliar hands landed on my shoulders, which had me whirling around, and an involuntary hiss escaped.
It was Keir’s hands. Danu was right under the surface, though she wasn’t acting defensive.
She was purring again. The damn hussy was so desperate for a mate that she was reacting to a stranger without knowing a thing about him.
Faced with two unfamiliar shifters or whatever the other one was, I backed away. I gripped my gun tighter.
“Fiona, Gariníon, Granddaughter, come inside. There’s no need for your weapon,” Granddad said from behind the man in the door. The guy stepped back so I could see my granddad.
“Deirfiúr, Sister, stop. You’re embarrassing us,” Gal snapped.
“And you’re making us look weak and gullible. You don’t know these men. I don’t know what they told you, but you’re too trusting. Daideo, you’re not like this. You know better,” I defended myself.
“Fiona. Come inside this instant and put your gun away. These men are not a threat. Do it now,” Granddad ordered in that tone that brooked no argument.
He rarely used it on us, which told me he was very upset with me. I fought down the shame. I hated that I had disappointed him. Without a word, I slipped my gun into my open purse, then with my head lowered, I walked into the house.
“I need to change. I’ll be back,” I murmured before continuing down the hall to my bedroom.
As soon as I entered, I knew Keir had been in here. Why? I scanned my room, trying to see if he’d taken anything, but it appeared that everything visible was where it should be. Feeling more off-balance, I rushed to my closet. I took out a pair of leggings and a comfortable tunic.
My head ached from having my hair up all day in a bun, so I removed the pins and the scrunchie that held it.
The relief was instantaneous. I rubbed my sore scalp for a minute, then I left my space and went into my bathroom.
I was fortunate that Granddad and Gal used the other one, so I could have this one.
Again, I detected Keir's scent. He permeated the entire house, and so did his friend, though I didn’t detect the other guy in my two personal spaces.
I splashed cold water on my face. I hadn’t bothered with much makeup this morning, and it had worn off after the day I had.
I brushed out my hair, then pulled it back in a loose ponytail.
Knowing that I’d procrastinated long enough, I stared at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath.
“You can do this,” I whispered, then headed for the kitchen.
They were either there or in the living room, but I’d start in the kitchen.
I needed a drink. I was parched. Although I was hungry, it was too much effort to check for leftovers.
Usually, there were, and I heated them when I got home, if it was after my family had eaten.
Oh well, missing a couple of meals wouldn’t kill me.
I was right. The four of them were gathered at the table.
They watched me intently. Probably wondering if I had my gun tucked under my shirt, I thought sarcastically.
I grabbed a glass from the cabinet, then went straight to the fridge.
There was food in containers. The remnants of whatever they had cooked lingered faintly in the air.
My stomach growled. I pulled out the milk and poured myself a glass. It would give me a few calories.
With nothing more to occupy me, I went to the table and sat in one of the two empty chairs. I chose the one furthest from the two men.
“Okay, I’m here. Would someone explain to me what this is all about? I’m tired, and I’d like to get some sleep soon. It’s been a long day,” I stated without inflection, then took a massive drink of milk.
“Fiona, this is Keir Brady and Gunnar Beck. They’re here to help us.” Granddad started the ball rolling. When he paused, I raised an eyebrow.
“Fine. Help us with what? I didn’t know we’d requested assistance from anyone, let alone strangers.”
Granddad opened his mouth, but Keir replied first.
“Galen, I believe we should give your granddaughter a few moments to eat, then we can explain who we are and what brought us here.”
“I don’t need to eat. I want to know what’s going on around here,” I countered.
“The sound your stomach made suggests otherwise. What did you eat today? Anything?” Keir asked gruffly.
“My eating habits aren’t your concern. I’m fine. Continue. As I said, I’m tired, and I might have to go back to work in the morning. I need some sleep.”
“Wait. Why would you have to do that? It’s your weekend off,” my brother protested.
“Because it’s swamped, and people have been calling out sick.”
“So, let one of those other people who work in the lab do it. The supervisor always calls you. He takes advantage of you all the time,” Gal grumbled.
“Regardless of whether he asks me or not, I have an obligation to my job, and I won’t turn down overtime. Please, tell me what’s happening here.”
Keir scowled. Gunnar watched me closely. His expression was inscrutable. Granddad seemed to be resigned. Gal was slightly upset.
“Gal, why don’t you start by telling your sister what you did?” Gunnar suggested.
I watched my brother dip his head and his skin flush pink. Then, he met my eyes.
“Remember that letter we got? The one threatening us. And then the rumors we’ve been hearing for months that our kind was being hurt, threatened, and even disappearing around Phoenix.
We talked about it. We wondered whether it was true, whether we were targets, or whether the letter was a hoax.
Well, after our last conversation and taking the letter we received into account, I called and left a message on the Sentinels’ tip line.
Today, we got a response.” He cast his gaze to Gunnar and Keir, then back to me.
My heart sped up, though I worked to keep it steady. I knew those around me could hear it and sense my anxiety. I took a moment to steady my voice before I replied.
“You’re telling me that these men work for the Sentinels. That they were sent here to investigate the claims?”
“Yes, exactly,” my brother said.
“Gal, why would the Sentinels bother with something so trivial? We don’t know if the reports are even real.
Sure, we got a letter, but it doesn’t mean anything.
Someone could be messing around. I told you that.
And if they aren’t, did you ever think that these guys are the ones who sent the letter?
They wanted access to our house, and you gave it to them? ” I asked, barely holding back my yell.
“Yes, I did wonder that. However, they showed me proof that they aren’t. I trust them. They’ve done nothing but help ensure our safety since they and their friends arrived,” Granddad defended them.
“Friends? There are more of them?” I asked.
I thought I’d detected a faint, underlying musk, but I couldn’t be sure. Keir’s scent seemed to overwhelm my sense of smell. I pushed back my chair. I needed to be in a defensible position.
“Please, we’re not here to harm any of you, Ms. Katz. And our friends left hours ago after we spoke to your family and got the whole story. We believe there's a reason to investigate. You are wrong about one thing,” Gunnar stated.
“What’s that?” I shot back.
“The Sentinels didn’t send us. We are the Sentinels,” Keir finished for his friend.
Immediately, disbelief hit me. I looked at both of them, then laughed. “Oh, wow, that’s a good one, as if the Sentinels would come here for something so trivial. Even if the letter is real, we’re not enough to warrant them coming here to protect us.”
“And why do you say that?” Keir countered.
“Because we’re nobodies. We’re not influential or rich shifters. If we’re threatened or go missing, it’s no big deal to anyone else. The shifter world will go on without us,” I replied.
Keir came to his feet, and I tensed. He appeared angry. His eyes bored into mine.
“You think we only care about the rich and influential shifters and supernaturals? That ordinary ones don’t matter to us?” he snapped.
“It makes sense. They’re the ones who influence our world, and even to an extent, the human world. My understanding is that there are very few Sentinels compared to us, even though our numbers are dropping. And the Sentinels’ identities are secret. You can’t be them,” I argued.
“Oh, really. So we’ve got this just for fun, and they do this by themselves, without magical or godly help,” he snarled before he whipped up his shirt. He tossed it on the table.
I couldn’t help but check out his incredible physique.
I was right. He was built, muscular, and had tattoos on more than his arms. He was ripped.
The sight of his naked torso made me want to touch him, and caused my breasts to tingle.
One tattoo in particular drew my attention.
It was on his upper chest. It was an emblem that I’d seen before.
It was the emblem of the Sentinels of Apollo.
Every shifter recognized it. It was beautiful.
As I stared at it, it began to glow. My eyes widened, and then before I knew it, Keir stepped to me, grabbed my hand, and placed it over the tattoo.
It was hot to the touch. Not hot enough to burn, yet noticeable.
I cried out in shock. I tried to pull my hand away, but he kept it locked there.
Our eyes stayed locked, too. I was drowning in his musk and the draw I felt to him. Jesus, I had to break this!