Chapter Three
The next morning, I woke to the sound of rain. The house was dim and cool from the storm that rolled in overnight. I’ve always loved rainy mornings; they gave me an excuse to be lazy.
As I showered, I thought over what I wanted to do. I had a book to finish writing and then send to my editor, but I needed Liam to tell me the names of the women Chris had assaulted. I needed to know why they hadn’t gone to their alphas.
The more I’d thought about it, the more I knew something bigger was going on. Shifter females are weaker than males, but Chris had been even weaker. My strength is akin to an Alpha’s because my dad’s power is in my blood, but even the average female should have been able to take him. So, something was off.
I turned off the water and stepped into the cool air of the bathroom. A little shiver ran through me as I wrapped my hair in a towel. A knock on my door had me rushing to throw on a robe before answering it. I was still tying it when I opened the door to find Isaac on the other side with a tray holding two enormous cups of coffee in one hand and a box of donuts in the other.
“I come bearing gifts,” he said as he entered my house.
“Nice. And why are you here so early?”
“I had to pass through the area on my way to a site, so I thought I’d stop in for a quick breakfast. I know you have chapters due soon, so you’ll be tied to your laptop.” He passed me a coffee.
“I do and will, but I need to find out more about those women. I can’t just let it lie.”
After Stella had left, I’d called Isaac to fill him in on the assaults. He was as angry as I’d been, and I was pretty sure stopping by with coffee was his way of checking on me without making it too obvious.
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re going to see Fraser again.”
“I am… If he’ll see me.”
“Dammit, Em, he’s not a character in one of your books. He’s a real asshole. I don’t like you going there alone. I think you should stay here and work.”
My eyebrows shot up at his tone. “Dude, I know you’re the Alpha, but you’re not my father.”
He shook his head. “I am not trying to be your father or your Alpha. I’m your friend, and I care about you. Fraser is ruthless. He may have seemed nice yesterday, but once he’s sick of you, he won’t be.”
I remembered how dark Liam’s expression had been at the end of our meeting. Maybe Isaac was right, but I still had to find out more about those women. “I don’t care. I have to do this.”
He growled when his phone dinged. “I have to go, but promise you’ll text or call me if anything happens. Anything.”
It took a lot not to roll my eyes at his demand, but I managed a smile. “Don’t worry. Go take care of whatever it is you need to. I will be fine.” I studied him. The subject of our conversation had annoyed him, but the text had upset him even more. “What’s going on at work? I’m sorry I forgot to ask you last night.”
“A house we are rehabbing is being problematic. It’s old so we have to replace all the pipes, there was a gas leak yesterday, and then part of the ceiling caved in before we could brace it. Today, they found a crack in the foundation and mold in one of the bathrooms.”
“Wow. That sounds really rough. Was anyone hurt when the ceiling fell?”
“Nah, my men took care of it and made sure the regs were safe.”
‘Regs’ is a derogatory term some shifters use for regular humans. Isaac only used it because he was around his workers all day. He loves humans. Why? I don’t know. I think the second they find out about us is when they’ll start trying to kill us. Again.
We may keep our existence a secret from humans, but we live and work among them. In fact, we have our hands in every aspect of the human world. Including the government. From the lowest city council member right on up to the highest offices.
Isaac has been learning his family’s construction business since he was a young boy. His dad hadn’t believed in childhoods. Instead of learning to play ball, Isaac had his very own hardhat and tool belt at the ripe old age of five.
“Good, I’m glad no one was hurt. You need to go, and I need to get dressed. I will be okay, so don’t spend your day worrying about me. Okay?”
He smiled. “Let me know when you leave his place. Please.”
The worry in his voice stopped my knee-jerk reaction to push back. Growing up with a dad who hadn’t given two shits about me, I’d gotten used to taking care of myself and doing what I pleased with little oversight. So, his request was uncomfortable, but I could tell he was worried, so I nodded.
“I will try to remember.”
He gave me a quick hug before turning to leave. “Try hard. And be safe.”
“Yeah, you too,” I called back to him as I pulled out the hairdryer.