Adele, Claire - Guardian of His Soul [Wolves of West Texas 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (13 page)

Juan needed to find out if Cindy was all right, and he needed to explain everything to her. Would she want to have anything to do with him after all this? He doubted it, but he had to try. He hated to lose her, wanted her with him always.

“Derek, I have to find Cindy.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Derek said.

They ran down the street. Juan spotted her car in the driveway of a house further down near the entrance to the area.

He tossed his car keys to Derek. “I’ll see if Cindy’s all right.”

“I’ll wait for you,” Derek said. “Good luck.”

Juan remembered how Derek’s serious relationship with a girl had ended badly when she’d learned Derek was a werewolf. Was there any chance Cindy would want Juan anywhere near her now? He doubted it. But he had to know if she was all right, and he had to at least try to explain to her.

Chapter Ten

Cynthia finished dressing in her own clothes, bundled up the lace garment, and headed for Darlene’s den, where she heard animated conversation.

“There you are,” her friend said, smiling. “I’ve been chatting with Kelly. She’s looking for a job. I need help with my house right now, and Kelly said she needs a place to stay. I invited her to stay here, if she wants to. I’d also pay her for helping out around my house, until she can get back on her feet.”

Cynthia studied Kelly’s earnest expression. “Would you like to do that?”

“Yeah, I would,” Kelly said. “I can use the money, and Mrs. Lovejoy invited me to stay in her home until I can afford a place. I’d like to work here.”

“That sounds like a good arrangement for both of you,” Cynthia agreed.

Darlene looked pointedly at her. “Now, tell me what happened.”

Cynthia introduced herself to Kelly and explained the events leading to her return in a lace garment. She left out the part about the Hawks and Juan and Derek looking like werewolves. Darlene would think she was loony. After she assured her friend she was fine, she told them both good-bye and ventured outside, anxious to go home and try to make sense of all this.

She found Juan hurrying up the walk to the house. He looked normal now, although his clothing was torn in places. No sign of blood remained. Had she been imagining what she thought she’d seen? The odor of acrid smoke lingered on him.

“Hi,” he said.

She nodded to him, and noticed the worry in his eyes. No longer sure if they could have any kind of close relationship, she waited. Tears burned her eyes at the thought of never seeing Juan again. Everything she’d gone through today left her reeling. She needed time to sort through what she’d witnessed and come to grips with it.

Juan reached for her. She backed away a step, shaking her head, not comfortable with him touching her at the moment. Hot tears trickled from her eyes.

He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Are you all right?” His voice was a rough rasp. “They didn’t hurt you or force you to do anything you didn’t want to?”

“No.” She shook her head again. “Only insisted I change into that flimsy garment. There was a woman there who took me into a room to change. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t have much choice when one of the Hawks came inside and insisted I put it on. I kept hoping I’d have a chance to escape. I knew it was their plan to lure you there.”

“Shit,” Juan swore.

She added, “Thanks to you and Derek, I did escape unscathed with the young woman they kidnapped from the shelter.”

“Thank God you’re all right. Is she?”

“Yes.”

“When we left the house just now, I noticed the police in the driveway talking to a tall blonde woman dressed in a blouse and slacks.”

“Sounds like the woman who told me to change clothes.”

“The police will probably take her in for more questioning,” he said. “I need to talk to you, explain things.”

“That would be helpful. Right now, I want to go home, shower, and rest a little,” she said and turned away.

“Wait.” He held out his hand to her.

The plea in his voice drew her to face him.

“What you saw,” he began, “was real.” He dropped his hand to his side. “I’m a shape-shifter, a werewolf, and so is Derek.”

She winced. It was too unreal to believe.

“We’re also private investigators. We’ve been trying to bring down the Hawks for years. They’re werewolves, too, but they use their power for evil. They traffic in slavery and prostitution, like I mentioned to you before. They’re also involved in smuggling aliens into the country. Before I met you, we had recently discovered their previous house of prostitution in the downtown area, and with the help of the police, it was closed down. The leader at that time was killed by a policeman. I couldn’t let it end there. They killed my aunt years ago, and I’ve been determined to see all of them brought to justice for her death.”

“I’m so sorry,” she offered, as his loss touched her.

“That’s why I was following them the night you rescued me near your home. I wanted to confront them at their new house of prostitution. Although I failed that time, I’m not sorry. I might not have met you otherwise.”

She studied his face, the serious look in his eyes. “Why do you change shape? Do you have to?”

“It’s something in our genes that goes back a dozen or more generations to a family from Europe. Some of their descendants moved to Texas back in the 1800s. We control the shape-shifting as much as possible. We can’t stop ourselves from changing when we, or people we love, are threatened by danger. You could say we’re driven to protect those who need help, and those we love.”

She nodded, understanding that emotion, if not the actual shape-shifting. “I saw a fight at the Rescue Mission recently. The men all looked a little like giant dogs.”

He nodded in agreement.

“Was that you and Derek fighting the Hawks?”

“Yeah,” he answered softly, as if he regretted the fight, or regretted her seeing it. “I didn’t know you’d seen that.”

She nodded and watched him grimace and look away. “Are all the Hawks dead now?”

“No.” He met her gaze. “They’re all on their way to jail and hopefully prison. Shape-shifters heal from wounds very fast, especially if injured while in werewolf form. Something about our physical makeup speeds recovery.”

“I see. You look fine except for the rips in your clothing.”

“I am fine, now that I know you’re safe.”

She looked at him, unable to ignore what she felt for him.

“My Aunt Chela’s murderers will be behind bars at last.”

She shuddered. “How was your aunt killed?”

“She rescued me from the Hawks’ imprisonment when I was a young teenager. As we made our escape, she took a werewolf slash to her jugular and a bullet in her back, and bled to death before we could reach help. She wouldn’t leave my side. She could have changed back to her human form and the change would have healed the wounds, but she chose to keep her wolf form to protect me as long as she could. They’d put a heavy chain around my neck to keep me from shape-shifting while they held me prisoner, and she couldn’t get it off. So she chose to protect me the best way she could. In my human form, I was no match for the Hawks as a young teenager.”

He closed his fist around the wolf’s head pendant hanging from the gold chain around his neck.

“Your aunt gave you that, and she probably saved your life. Do you feel like your debt to her is paid now?”

He shook his head. “I have one more thing I must do before I can let go of the past. Will you come with me?”

“Is it non-violent, what you still need to do?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “This will be a peaceful thing. It would mean a lot to me if you’d go with me. Aunt Chela would have admired you, as I do, for your courage. You’ve shown that courage over and over since we first met, when you took me in after the Hawks beat me that night in front of your neighbor’s house. My aunt would love you for that.”

Cynthia didn’t think it would hurt for her to go with him. They still had so much to come to terms with. Later, she wanted to talk to him at home in private. But first, she thought it only fitting that she invite both Juan and Derek over to her home. If not for the two of them, she might not have escaped and taken Kelly Smith with her. “I need to drive my car home.”

“I’ll follow you. Afterward, we’ll have time to talk about everything.”

“Yes. We need to talk.” She headed for her car.

Juan walked beside her and held the car door for her, closing it after she settled on the front seat. “I’ll follow you.”

She watched Juan as he joined Derek, and they headed for his car, got in, and waited for her. Cynthia backed her car out and drove downhill the few blocks to her home. Leaving her car in the garage, she joined Juan at his car.

Derek nodded to her from the back seat as Juan held the door for her. “Heck of an escape you made today with that other pretty lady. Are you both all right?”

“Yes, we’re okay,” she said, smiling a little at Derek.

“I couldn’t help taking a moment to watch you two make your escape,” Derek continued. “I’d like to meet your friend. Is she married?”

Cindy smiled at Derek’s blatant interest in Kelly. “I’m not sure. I’ve seen Kelly around the Rescue Mission before. The Hawks have been trying to kidnap her for a while. She managed to avoid them until today.”

Juan watched Cindy as her eyes closed for a moment. She finally looked up at him.

“Thank God, you and Derek came to our rescue. I can’t thank you both enough for freeing us from those bastards.”

Juan reached across and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner. We didn’t realize you were involved until we saw your car in their driveway. We’d followed them after chancing on them kidnapping Kelly.”

He squeezed her hand gently in his.

“What’s Kelly going to do?” Derek asked. “Does she need a place to stay? If she’s alone, she may need help.”

“My friend, Darlene Lovejoy, welcomed her into her home and invited her to stay there and help around the house if she wants to. She offered to pay Kelly for her help, to give her a way to get on her feet.”

“Oh,” Derek said. “Good deal.”

Cindy smiled at Derek. “Do you want me to put in a good word for you?”

“Wouldn’t hurt,” Derek said.

* * * *

It took only a few minutes for Juan to drive to his place. He wondered what Cindy would think of it. His home was small but adequate for a single guy. Not as comfortable as Cindy’s home, though.

Juan showed Cindy around the house. Derek followed them. Maybe she’d give him another chance if she saw that he had a home just like normal folks. If she didn’t want anything more to do with him, he didn’t know how he’d survive. She was his soul mate. He loved her. He’d never love anyone else like he loved Cindy.

After he completed the tour of the two-bedroom ranch-style built in the seventies, he took her back to the main living room. He crossed to the white brick fireplace and indicated the photo of his Aunt Chela, which he kept on the mantle.

“This is my aunt. She always stayed close to me. She was like my guardian angel. She lifted my spirits when I was young and something upset me. If not for her rescuing me, I would have probably lost my life. She gave hers to save mine.”

Cindy drew close and stood at his side. “She looks like a lovely lady. I can tell she loved you very much.”