Alpha Me Not (23 page)

She jumped.

He crossed his arms over her back and gave her a quick squeeze. “That’s the construction crew I hired to demolish Terri’s foundation.”

“I thought the fire department said it would take at least another day before the property would be cleared when they interviewed us last night.”

It had been a horrible experience. The lead investigator obviously suspected her of the arson, though both of them had been interrogated in separate rooms, and Joe later told her that he was a suspect too.

Kieran somehow found out that she and Joe had been hauled down to the police station, and he and his father showed up, both spitting nails. In no time at all, the tenor of the questioning had changed, and they were released.

Joe scrubbed his jaw. “Don’t know what strings or threats Kieran’s father used, but after you fell asleep last night, I got a call from the chief investigator on the case. He gave me the go-ahead, so I e-mailed the foreman of the crew. Figured it would give me something to focus on until one of us finds your Eric.”

Eric. Was he still alive? She swallowed around the cloying constriction in her throat. For someone who never cried, she sure had sprouted multiple waterworks since Sunday. Joe didn’t need a weeping female, not now. Pasting a smile on her face, Susie rolled away from him, scooted off the bed, and said, in what she hoped emulated a perky tone, “Go. Do what you have to. I’ll make breakfast. I’ve been dying to try out that robo-stove of yours.”

“Have I actually hooked up with a cook?” He snagged her as she walked by him. “Bacon, eggs, the works?”

“No way. This is a virgin stove. I’m thinking vanilla French toast, capped with a strawberry cream sauce.”

He tweaked her nose. “Works for me. Just make a ton. Kieran, Gray, and Tate will be here soon.”

“Got it handled, big boy.” She set her mouth to his and suckled his juicy bottom lip for a lingering moment.

“Hold that thought, gypsy.” He knuckled her cheek and hopped off the bed.

She’d never seen such powerful thighs and flanks. Yet though heavily muscled, he moved with a lupine grace and beauty that was sheer pleasure to her eyes.

She ambled into the bathroom after Joe dressed and left.

Melanie had called late last night and yelled at her for being so uncommunicative, so before anything else, Susie texted a quick update to her sister. Then she shed her clothes, turned on the water, and adjusted the temperature.

What had Joe meant about her letting Eric in? Was the vision thing something she could control? While showering and shampooing, she tried to remember exactly what had happened the first time.

The headache. The bitter taste in her mouth. The weird dizziness. The first time she’d felt like that was on the run she’d taken the day of moving into Terri’s house. When she’d raced past the ravine.

Dressed in jeans and a red sweatshirt, she wandered into the kitchen and checked the contents of the fridge. One lone carton of milk, a stick of butter with a greenish tinge, and a loaf of pumpernickel. Really, did the man ever visit a grocery store? And how in heck could he even talk about eggs and bacon?

She drew the curtains above the sink back and glimpsed Joe and a bunch of helmet-clad men in what was left of Terri’s backyard. He and the leader of the group were touring the perimeter of the slab of concrete.

The gas station store just down the road would have everything she needed for breakfast. Heck, it was at most a fifteen-minute trip there and back. Decision made. Susie grabbed her jacket and purse and headed out the door.

It seemed God hadn’t made up his mind about the weather for the day. Clouds of every hue of gray battled a dozen blue patches of sky for prevalence. She glimpsed a crack of sunlight shining a silver beam on a charcoal swath shaped eerily like a large machete. A stiff breeze tossed her hair every which way when she turned the corner.

Crowds of parents and children filled Treehouse Park.

At least three soccer games were in full play, but her attention was captured by the youngest children playing in the field closest to the sidewalk. Three- and four-year-olds yelled and screeched and kicked and fell like bowling pins tumbling into each other with great delight. Susie paused to watch the adorable toddlers. When would Melanie introduce Jackie to the game? Her fireball of a niece would stand for no other position than captain. At the tender age of only one, Jackie had an amazingly bossy streak already.

What kind of baby would she and Joe have?

Susie halted in midstep literally, so shocked to the core she actually fell off the curb, managed through a flailing of arms to regain her balance, and then checked to see if anyone had noticed her sudden clumsiness. Nope. She rolled up her collar and marched to the gas station, head down, her gut rioting. Could she really give up all her plans just to be with Joe? Wasn’t it better to stick to her goals?

Alpha me not.

Right.

Remember that.

She trudged into the store and grabbed a basket.

“Susie. How’ve you been?” The last person she’d expected to see was Gemma Arnold. “I am so sorry about the fire.”

How was she to respond to that? “Thank you. I’m coping.”

“I heard you’re now living with Joe Huroq?”

Well, that certainly spelled everything out in capital letters. “Yes. How’s your father doing?”

“He’s on the mend. It was rather trying to have to stay in a hotel until they gave us the all clear. Did you hear about the Lees?”

“The Lees? That’s the young couple in the first house? The ones with the two kids?” Susie had never met the family, but she had seen them in the park on her first run in the neighborhood. She shook her head. “No, I didn’t hear about them. Is something wrong?”

“Wrong? No.” Gemma snorted. “They won the lottery. Bought the ticket right here.”

“No kidding. That’s terrific.” Susie strolled to the refrigerated area. “Nice to see you again, Gemma. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m in a bit of a rush.”

“No problem. I need to get going too.”

Flashing a quick smile, Susie turned into the other aisle, grabbed a tray of eggs, one carton each of milk and juice, found a bottle of vanilla essence, a packet of bacon, and a small bottle of maple syrup. A thorough search unearthed a thickly sliced country loaf and an exorbitantly priced packet of frozen strawberries. She grumbled at the cost but paid the price and gathered her parcels together.

She exited the gas station to find Joe standing there, arms folded, wearing a glower of magnificent proportions.

Guilt rocked through her.

“Never. Ever. Leave. Without speaking to me first. I need to know where you are. At all times.”

Why should she feel guilty? He didn’t own her. “Honestly, Joe. It was a ten-minute trip. What could go wrong in that time?”

“It’s a minimum of a fifteen-minute trip, and you know it. Petey was in the middle of a five-minute walk to his home when he vanished. Someone blew up the house you lived in. Deliberately.” He took the two bags from her. “There is an arsonist on the loose.”

She should have told him where she was going. “I’m sorry. I was wrong to leave without telling you.”

“Yes, you were. And there will be a penalty.”

She squinted at him. “I am not a child, Joe Huroq. So don’t treat me like one.”

Black brows slashed into a thick line. A muscle in his cheek spasmed. “When you act like a child, you’re punished like a child. I am your mate. Your alpha. And there is nothing more important to me than your safety. Get used to it.”

She fisted her hands. “Or what?”

“Don’t. Don’t tempt me.” He jutted his chin. “March.”

She stomped down the sidewalk.

He followed in her wake, and his eyes burned a hole in her back or so it seemed. She pretended an interest in the park and was almost run over when three little girls raced past her to Joe.

“Joe!”

“I saw him first.”

“I’m the eldest.”

The giggling girls wrapped themselves around Joe’s legs. He crouched down to their height. “My three favorite princesses in the entire universe.”

Two of the girls were arrayed in soccer uniforms and wore yellow-and-white-striped shirts. She guessed their ages at seven and nine. The youngest, dressed in shorts and a cropped T-shirt, sported a sparkling silver tiara in her dark curls.

“I scored a goal.” The tallest one stuck out her chest proudly.

The middle girl hung her head. “I did too, but it was on the wrong side.”

Joe tweaked her nose. “Any goal’s a good goal.”

The youngest tot removed her thumb from her mouth and offered it to Joe. “Vanilla.”

He sniffed the digit and shook his head. “I only suck chocolate thumbs.”

She grinned and waved the pink thumb. “Chocolate.”

“No fooling me, young lady. That’s a vanilla thumb.” He set the bags down and picked up the little girl. “Susie, I’d like you to meet Wania. She’s three. And these are her two older sisters, Zaara and Irsa.”

Wania cuddled closer to Joe and studied Susie.

Zaara cocked her head to one side. “Are you going to marry Joe?”

When had hello been replaced by the big
M
question? She glanced to Joe for guidance.

He shrugged.

“He hasn’t asked me. So I guess the answer is no.” Susie crossed her arms.

“I heard Gray say Joe’d better make an honest woman out of you before the week’s out. I like Gray. He’s your brother, right?”

“Yes. Gray’s my brother.” Were these girls born interrogators or what?

The middle girl jumped in. “Zaara tried to help him get in the house, but then she gave Tate a black eye instead. Is it all purple?”

“No. He’s fine. It isn’t even swollen anymore.”

“I think your coach wants you two back in the game.” Joe stooped and settled Wania on her feet. “Where are your mom and dad?”

“Dad’s gone to get the snacks Mom forgot. Mom’s over there talking to Mrs. Lee.” Irsa pointed at the park and then caught Wania’s hand. “We got a new puppy, Joe. His name’s Rex. It means king.”

“I’ll come over and meet him on the weekend. I expect at least one more goal from each of you. Give me five.”

Each of the three girls high-fived Joe, and then they all raced back to the park.

“Those are the Hassani girls?”

“Yeah. That little Wania just crawls right into your heart when you’re not looking.” Joe picked up the bags.

“They’ve
all
got you wrapped.” Susie snuck a peek at him.

“And don’t they know it. I don’t envy Omar, their father. Three girls. All going to be beauties. His shotgun will never be big enough.” Joe gave an exaggerated shudder.

“What happens if you have a little girl?” Susie almost fell over when Joe stopped dead in his tracks.

His tanned complexion ashened, and his earlier glower returned with a vengeance. He opened his mouth, clamped his lips together, focused on the sky for a three-second pause before saying, his words clipped and his tone terse, “Let’s hustle. I need to check on the crew.”

They walked back to the house in silence, Susie calling herself all kinds of a fool for asking such a stupid question.

Every third or fourth step, Joe hesitated, scowled at her, and then muttered something under his breath.

Gray and Tate were lounging on the front porch.

“What on earth were you thinking, Susie? Taking off without telling Joe? It’s a damned lucky thing Tate and I spotted you sauntering down the sidewalk.”

“Don’t you start with me, Gray White.”

“I have everything under control, Gray. Tate, did you check on the crew?”

“Did I ever.” Tate rolled his eyes. “We’ve a little problem on our hands. Turns out Terri’s house had a basement.”

“What?” Susie grabbed the banister. She had cleaned Terri’s house from top to bottom. There was no basement.

“No fricking way.” Joe jostled the packages and opened the door. “I’ve been in that house often. Even slept there a couple of times. There’s no basement.”

“Put the packages down and come and see for yourself.” Tate led the way to the kitchen, Joe dumped his parcels, and they all filed out the back door.

Dew still clung heavy to the grass, and Susie’s socks dampened as they tramped across the backyard. A trace of the burned smell still lingered in the air, but a metallic taint had dampened the acridity.

The construction crew had taken a number of jackhammers to what was left of Terri’s foundation. In one corner a seven-foot-wide hole yawned. The stench coming from the cavity made Susie hold her breath.

Joe grabbed her by the waist, lifted her off her feet, and set her in the direction they’d come from.

A tad on the dizzy side, she snapped, “What
are
you doing?”

“You don’t want to see this. Gray. Take your sister back to the house. Stay with her.”

Gray draped an arm around her shoulder. His features were drawn tight, lips thinned, eyes narrowed.

“I didn’t see anything. What is it?”

“There was a dungeon in that basement.”

“A what?” Gray almost had her running, he walked so fast. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure I should tell you. Joe obviously didn’t want you to see anything.”

She clouted him. “Don’t even go there.”

He rolled his eyes. “A dungeon used for torture, Susie. When the crew broke through the concrete, they came to get us. Both Tate and I went through the basement. We found fragments of bones. Human bones.”

She rubbed her arms and scrambled up the steps to the deck.

Gray held the door open, and she went into the house.

Susie watched her brother’s long, easy stride as he paced a tight circle and tried to digest the latest news. Bones. Dungeon. Torture.

“Are you okay, Susie? You’re as white as snow.”

“I feel like I’m in a nightmare. The fire. Petey. The funeral. Now this.” She massaged her throbbing forehead. “I’m going to lie down for a couple of minutes. I know you want to go back to Tate and Joe. Go. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

She nodded.

“I’ll check the locks before I leave. Want me to help you to the bedroom?”

“Don’t be silly. I’m shook up, not feebleminded.” She left Gray in the kitchen and made her way slowly to the bedroom. She threw back the covers, took off her sneakers, and crawled on the mattress. The minutes ticked by as she studied the pattern on the ceiling tile.