Hidden Crimes (22 page)

“But I—”

“I already have my car keys,” he said, which
he did. “Lock the doors and keep the kids inside.”

“I don’t think that’s—”

“Please, Evina.” He was halfway down the
stairs by then. “I don’t want to talk and drive. Just stay put and
wait for me.”

His palms were sweating, his body
energized—adrenaline and other things goading him to get to her
without delay. His instinct to protect her was as impossible to
mistake as it was to ignore.

“Okay,” she said, sounding less certain than
he was. “But I warn you, it’s a bit of a madhouse here.”

“No worries,” he said grimly, swinging into
his car. “Someone recently told me I’d benefit from a
distraction.”

~

The idea of Nate rushing over to keep her
safe made Evina almost as nervous as her memory of the murderous
doctor. She grabbed the fifteen minutes she thought she had to tidy
up, a task her hyperactive kids weren’t making easier.

“
Please
change into your boy form,”
she pleaded with Rafi.

“We’re playing, Mommy,” Abby protested. “I’m
Daniel, and Rafi’s being the lion.”

The lion let out his scratchy cub roar to
demonstrate.

Great
, Evina thought. This is what her
children picked up in All-Faith Sunday school.

Nate must have driven from his condo with his
foot on the floor. No more than ten minutes later, his inimitable
police knock thumped at the front door.

Evina threw one last toy into the box in the
living room and went to answer it.

She really, truly didn’t expect the relief
that flooded her when she saw him. “Hey,” she said, and he smiled
at her.

It was a tired smile, but in that moment, he
was the best-looking man she’d ever seen. His crooked grin was
enchanting, his lean build perfect, his crinkling eyes as welcome
as a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. She wanted to
give him a giant hug, but didn’t quite know how to initiate
one.

“Hey,” he answered and bent to do it
himself.

They both held on a little longer than they
had to. Abby spotted them from the foot of the stairs.

“You’re back,” she said with obvious
surprise. Though she was only six, she sometimes shared her
mother’s slightly cynical view of men.

“I am,” Nate agreed.

He stepped inside and shut the door, giving
it the extra hip shove it always took. He locked it before Evina
could. The presumption should have made her bristle, but for some
reason it didn’t. Come to join his sister, Rafi plunked down in the
entryway. His tiger mouth gawped at Nate, his striped tail curled
around his haunches.

“Hi again,” Nate greeted. “Shall I shake your
paw, or would you like to change into boy form and say hello.”

Rafi’s response was to turn and bound up the
stairs.

“He’s shy sometimes,” Evina said.

“Can I watch
Mini-Dragons to the
Rescue
?” Abby asked.

“Sure,” Evina consented. The cartoon was her
kids’ favorite. She’d be surprised if they didn’t have every DVD of
them ever made. “One episode, okay? Bedtime is pretty close.”

“And don’t leave the house,” Nate added.

Abby’s eyes went round at being given an
order from a near stranger. She shot a look at her mother, who
could practically hear her quick little mind figuring angles. “What
if Rafi wants to run on the grass?”

“Not tonight,” Evina said. “Grandmom’s not
around to watch you.”

With her kids dispersed, Evina and Nate went
to the couch in the living room. Telling him what happened turned
out not to be difficult. The way he laid his hand on her knee and
kept it there while she spoke calmed her nerves wonderfully.

“You’re sure he spelled you?” Nate asked.

“Pretty sure. I mean, no one’s ever done it
to me before, but it felt like people describe. I literally was too
afraid to move.”

Nate squeezed her knee and mulled this over,
staring at the wall opposite the couch. A length of traditional
Indian fabric hung there in lieu of art. She wondered what he
thought of her low-budget decorations, but told herself just
because he had good stuff didn’t mean he was a snob.

“Do you think he recognized you?” he
asked.

Evina forced herself not to shiver. “How
could he? I only saw him in a vision. He couldn’t have seen
me
. Maybe he’s paranoid and spells everyone who stares at
him.”

Nate gave her an amused but dubious look.

“Well, I don’t know why he did it.”

“You said he didn’t look like an elf, but did
he seem human?”

She considered this. “You mean a human
sorcerer? I don’t think he could have been, because they draw on
their own energy, and the spell didn’t weaken him. I suppose he
could have been a natural human Talent, but then why would he have
chanted? Talents don’t use rituals. He’d just
think
me into
being afraid.”

“Could he have been part fae?”

That hadn’t occurred to her. “I don’t know.
I’m not sure I’d spot it. My ex’s wife is one part fae and three
parts shifter. Apart from being unfairly gorgeous, she seems
normal.”

Nate rubbed his chin with the fingers of his
free hand, the other now entwined with hers. “Is your ex’s wife a
redhead, by chance?”

Evina grimaced at being obliged to answer
this. “She’s a silky sunshiny blonde, like a princess from a story.
Natural too. Never had a root in her life. Also, her thighs are
thin.”

“Hm,” Nate said distractedly. She’d expected
him to laugh.

“Why is this important?” she asked.

“I’m not sure. My gut tells me this fake
adoption case is linked to the Galinas. I just haven’t figured out
how the two intersect.”

“I saw on the news today that Ivan Galina was
murdered.”

“Yes. Probably by his brother, though—thanks
to me—we can’t prove that.”

“How can it be thanks to you?”

He shook his head; shook himself, in fact.
“It isn’t. I’m feeling sorry for myself. I spooked some people of
interest I thought I had on a hook, and things got . . . tense
today at work.”

Evina wouldn’t let him turn away. She took
his angular and wonderful face between her hands. “Nobody makes the
right choices every time. That doesn’t mean you aren’t good at your
job. If you weren’t passionate about doing it well, you wouldn’t be
here now, trying to keep me and my family safe.”

He rubbed her wrists, holding her clasp to
him. Looking into his eyes, seeing his affection and wry humor,
Evina began to melt in a whole new way. This wasn’t a crush. This
was a once in a lifetime emotion she was feeling. The embers that
began to glow in his gaze said maybe he felt the same.

“Evina Mohajit,” he murmured, “you are one in
a million.”

Perhaps she’d have joked that he’d known a
million, but then an idea hit him.

“He didn’t ask for protection.”

“Who didn’t?”

His hands chafed her forearms, like maybe
touching her helped him think. Evina dropped her palms to his hard
shoulders. “Vasili Galina. He’s not an alpha, but at least on
paper, he’s Ivan’s heir. The first thing any of his more ambitious
lieutenants are going to do is eliminate the chance Vasili will
claim the empty throne. But Vasili wasn’t afraid of that. Mostly,
he was annoyed at us.”

“Maybe he’s too stupid to see the
danger.”

“He’s smart enough. And he’s canny, which
sometimes matters more. When we first arrested him, he seemed
relieved to go into protective custody. So what’s making him brave
now?”

“He must have a partner.”

Nate smiled at her. “Yes. He must have a
partner shoring up his nerves, someone who was also afraid of Ivan
but not his underlings.”

She smiled in return, pleased she’d helped
him figure this out, if only by accident. “I’m sorry I didn’t get
the SUV’s license plate,” she said, remembering her own brush with
fear.

“You did better than most people would. I’ll
run the Escalade’s description. Maybe narrow it down to vehicles
with ‘MD’ on the plate. Doctors like those vanity things.”

“Smart,” Evina said.

Nate wiggled his brows at her. “I’m not just
charming and good-looking. I also have a brain.”

“Sheesh.” Evina laughed, happy to see the
shadows in his face fading.

Nate stroked her cheek, then cupped her chin
and kissed her. Heat sluiced through her body at the first slick
touch of his tongue. She gripped his shoulders, pulling herself to
him.

He hummed, his hands sliding to her waist. He
pulled back as if he didn’t intend to do so for long. “How is it
you taste so good to me?”

“Mommy,” Rafi said from the open arch to the
living room. “Is Detective Rivera going to help you tuck us
in?”

They’d jolted apart the instant his voice
rang out. Evina saw her son was in his Spiderman PJs. From the
minty smell he was wafting, he’d also brushed his teeth. Miracles
didn’t cease, apparently.

“I changed,” he said. “So I could say
hello.”

Nate let out a snort that was probably a
laugh.

“That’s good,” Evina said. “I guess . . .”
She looked at Nate, at a loss.

“I’d be happy to help tuck you in,” he said.
“There’s a boy in my pack I get to practice on now and then.
Ethan’s only a little younger than you.”

“Is he a wolf?”

“He is.”

“They only change when the moon is full.”

“That’s generally true.”

“I can change anytime.”

“I’ve noticed that,” Nate said with a
half-smile.

“Mommy!” Abby wailed from upstairs. “My one
episode is over.”

“Hm,” Nate said. “Sounds like you have two
cubs to tuck in.”

“You don’t have to,” Evina said, awkwardness
rising inside her. “I didn’t call you over for this.”

“I want to.” Nate’s eyes were warm on hers.
“This is exactly what I needed tonight.”

~

The process of tucking in tiger cubs was
neither more nor less involved than Nate’s experiences with Ethan.
He helped Evina serenade them with all three verses of the
Mini-Dragons theme song, checked under the beds for monsters,
locked the windows, and made sure each child’s covers were arranged
as they preferred. He left the forehead kissing to Evina, deciding
hair mussing was more appropriate for a visitor.

“You’re nicer than Gretel Newman’s mother’s
boyfriend,” Abby mumbled sleepily. “Even if you’re a wolf.”

“Sorry about that,” Evina said once they were
alone in the hall.

Nate shook his head. His hands slid naturally
down her arms to weave their fingers together. “Kids pick up things
from each other.”

Evina pulled a humorous face. “I’m afraid
that ‘even if you’re a wolf’ stuff came from her father. My crew
told him about you.”

Nate was amused. “They must think there’s
cause for worry.”

“Nothing but.” Evina smiled back slyly.
“You’re a dangerous man.”

Their hands swung together like teenagers on
a date. “I should stay tonight,” Nate said. “Until we find out
what’s up with that doctor.”

Evina’s golden eyes turned so molten they
should have set him on fire. He hardened in a surge that left him
pounding in suddenly snug trousers. Her next question tightened
them even more. “How do you feel about going to bed early?”

He felt good about it; so good he took her
three times in the next half hour. They both were keener to have
sex than he expected, and it was quiet but vigorous. Nate punched a
few new claw holes into her headboard, and Evina lost control
enough to rake his back.

He’d thought that would be it, but she
squirmed out from under him and sat on top of his butt.

“Nothing you can do from there,” he teased
drowsily. “Unless you’re planning to dig out your boy-toys
again.”

“Ha ha.” Evina bent to kiss one of the
scratch marks she’d left on him. The tip of her tongue curled out,
trailing up the short score line. The moisture tickled, but the
sensation turned to an itch as the injury healed. She repeated the
lick on the next two scratches.

The sweetness of the gesture threatened to
close his throat.

“You could leave me one,” he suggested
lightly. “As a souvenir.”

“You’d like it if I marked you then?”

“Maybe.”

“Your packmates won’t tease you in the locker
room?”

“They tease me as it is. On account of my
sharp wardrobe.”

She laughed, and he shifted around under her,
wanting to see her face. Her braid had fallen forward over her
shoulder, its disheveled length curved between her breasts. Nate
reached to pet it even as her hands slid up the sides of his ribs.
They were sharing a supremely lazy state, practically drunk from
their orgasms. Nate’s cock stirred between them anyway.

Evina gave him a look like,
You’re kidding
me. You want to go
again
?
Nate knew
she wasn’t complaining. Her nipples drew tight as he stroked her
hair.

“I’ve had daydreams about this braid,” he
confessed.

“Oh really?”

“Yes. It’s Rapunzel-long, and it winds around
my naked body to tie me up.”

“Ah. That sort of daydream.” She smiled,
hands drawing to his hips where her thumbs pushed through the curls
of his pubic thatch. Nate’s cock stirred more energetically.

“You’re very cruel in my dreams,” he went on,
taking her nipples between his fingers. “You keep me prisoner and
have your way with me.”

Since her nipples had beaded up, he pinched
them. Evina sucked in a breath, her hold tightening on his hips.
Warmth and wetness welled from her body onto his. Nate’s cock
finished stiffening in one quick punch.

“My hair isn’t long enough to tie you up,”
she said.

She’d seen the idea he’d painted, and she was
digging it. Her voice had the husky edge that meant she wanted
him.

“You could let it down,” he proposed. “You
could ride me and I’d pretend.”