Unquenchable Desire (21 page)

Valerie frowned.
What’s wrong
with my scent?
The joking was obviously a man thing to reduce tension, but she wasn’t
ready to let hers go. She glared at Brian. “Uncle Hugh better be all right.”

“I didn’t mean to hit him so hard,” Brian said. “But I
needed to knock him out to speed things up. I was under a lot of stress and was
afraid I’d morph, too. Then I couldn’t have gotten us out of there.”

“You went entirely too far, Brian.”
She regreted her bitchiness, but not enough
to back off.
“I
don’t dig the man-handling, rough stuff. And I’m really burned that
you and Dad treated me like a…a…bubble-headed
blonde rather than a responsible CEO of the New Beginnings Foundation.”

Brian stared at her wide-eyed. “I’ve never thought of you as anything
but terrific and totally capable. But being aware of the double edged sword—morphing
any minute and the fact that I didn’t know where Reeves was—there was no way I
could leave you there.”

Uncle Hugh raised up from
Victoria
’s
lap, his lupine features smoothing out and looking more human. “Reeves wasn’t
still in the building. I sniffed out the whole place. I found the bomb in the
basement with enough explosives to take out half of the block and any passing cars.
Inspite of the extensive construction knowledge and implosion experience I gain
while running my construction business, my clawed hands made the touchy
operation sheer insanity. Still, with only seconds left on the clock, I had to
chance it and disconnect the wires and disengage the triggering device.
But I’m glad you called the
bomb squad. They’ll dispose of the bomb properly.

Valerie felt a shudder flutter through her. “You saved
a lot of lives, Uncle Hugh. You’re a hero.”

Uncle Hugh beamed under the praise. His incisors had
lost most of the dagger-like appearance and he looked quite handsome again. “I
sniffed you kids out to urge you to leave the building in case I messed up.” He
shot a look at Brian. “Then, to thank me, you knocked me out.” He grinned. “But
I heard your explanation and it’s copasetic with me.

****

Brian’s
explanation might be copasetic with Uncle Hugh
, Valerie thought,
but I’m not ready to forgive him or
Dad for kidnapping me. I’ve said enough
about it for now, but just wait until I get each of them alone
.
With effort, she shoved the bundle of negativity
to the back of her mind.

At her Dad’s request, Kyle had magically pulled
together a fabulous buffet-breakfast with various fruits, salads, breads, and sinful
homemade rolls.
The aroma of breads and cinnamon rolls, hot
from the oven, wafted in the air along with the scent of Brazilian coffee.
The appetite stirring smells drew everyone swiftly to the dining room on the
first call without the slightest coaxing from Kyle.

He usually disappeared after setting up a buffet meal,
but this time he hovered close by. Valerie squirmed at his relentless gaze. She
gave him a halfhearted smile, served
herself
, then
quickly sat down between Brian and Uncle Hugh who had completely morphed back
into his own skin. She captured her mother’s gaze. “Mom, where is
Kindra
?” She tried to curb the worry in her tone.

“When I learned what happened at the foundation, I
decided the poor child didn’t need to be drawn into our complex situation and
dropped her by Grandma’s house. Grandma was delighted and has planned a tea
party for
Kindra
and the girl next door who is about
her age. Don’t worry. She’s in good hands.”

“Good thinking, Mom.
Kindra
definitely doesn’t need more
trauma
in her life.”

Valerie tried not to look at Kyle or her dad who sat
across from her. Suddenly she needed to pretend life was normal. She shot
glances to Victoria and Rick. “How long before you guys have to leave? I’d like
to take you to the play
Made for Each
Other
at the Pomona Playhouse sometime next week. It’s been getting great
reviews. Or maybe you’d like to see
The
Phantom of the Opera
at
Lowell
’s
Chinese Theatre.”

Victoria
rolled her eyes.
“Definitely not the Phantom of the Opera.
We have enough of
the specters wandering around within our home walls.”

Dad cleared his voice as though planning to chastise
Victoria
.

“
Made for Each Other
, then,” Valerie said quickly to cut him off.
Before she could say more,
she heard the screech of tires in the driveway. She ran to the arched picture
window and pulled back silken drape slightly. “It’s the police. Remember, no
matter what our differences, we must present a united front. And since you like
to assert your authority, Dad,” she said, glaring at him, “you prevented me
from handling what needed to be handled—when it needed to be handled. I suggest
you weave some of your in-command magic with those men-in-blue storming our
driveway.”

“Valerie!” Mom said in a stunned voice. “What happened
to our sweet, soft spoken daughter? Did the serum change your personality?”

“Ask Dad. He has all the answers.” She winced inside
the minute she gave her mom such a flip answer. Mom didn’t deserve the
disrespect.

Dad shook his head. “I guess I deserve her anger. I’ll
take care of the police. The rest of you keep quiet, especially you, Valerie. You
and I’ll sort this out later.”

Valerie rubbed her arms. “Let’s hope it’s not from a
jail cell.”

A moment ago, she’d sensed Kyle watching her and
listening to the exchange. She risked a glance in his direction. He’d
disappeared. With all he’d heard, he could give the police an earful. She had
to get to him first.

While her dad headed for the front door to invite the
officers inside, she went looking for Kyle. He wasn’t in the kitchen, his
quarters, or anywhere else in the house. He’d totally vanished.

****

Valerie returned to the room and
heard her dad shout, “My God Haywood, what would you do in my position? With a
bomb inside ready to explode any second, I had to get my daughter the hell away
from there. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing. If you’d let me into
the building to get her, I’d have handled it differently. But when you tied my
hands, I reacted like any father would.”

“So, if I buy that story,” Haywood
said, “how do you explain the watchman with his throat ripped out and the fact
that you’re always nearby when the wolf strikes?”

“Maybe someone is setting me up. As
far as Valerie is concerned, she followed all the right procedures. She called
the police, the bomb squad and intended to stay. But I couldn’t risk a foul up
and the bomb going off. I had to get her to safety.”

Haywood turned to Valerie with
narrowed eyes. “What do you have to say about all this?”

Valerie straightened her stance. “I have nothing to add
to Dad’s explanation.” To distract Haywood and bring the important answers into
the light, she asked, “Did you contact Gordon
Whilhite’s
family?”

“We’ll contact them later this afternoon. How do you think the wolf got
in?”

“Don’t you know,
Detective
Haywood? I was just going to ask
you
that.”
The red crawling up his neck warned her to sweeten her tone. “Another thing
puzzling me is how the wolf took down our ex-prize fighter night watchman. Gordon
had mace, a stun gun, and a nightstick in his belt.”

“None of those things were on him when we got there,”
Haywood growled.

Oh great,
Valerie thought
, the werewolf probably added them to his arsenal
.

“Now,” Haywood, said, eyeballing her
menacingly,
“what can you tell us to justify your leaving the scene of a murder?”

“It’s like dad said, fearing I was in danger, he insisted I go with
him.”

“It was more than just insisting, wasn’t it? Officer Morales’ report
says it looked like the man with your dad took you forcibley.”

“What can I say? My assistant is a forceful man, like my dad. I’m
thinking of firing him for insubordination. Unfortunately, I can’t fire my dad.”

Officer Morales’ attempted to hide his smile behind his notepad.

Haywood’s eyes darkened. H
is reddening face growing scarlet suggested he was close to
his
exploding point. He looked
first at Rick then settled his gaze on Brian.

“You the assistant?”

“Yes, Sir. Until she fires me.”

“Full name?”

Brian stood military erect and gave his name while couregeously meeting
Haywood’s gaze. Valerie couldn’t help but be proud of how he handled himself.

Haywood shifted his weight. “What’s your take on all this, Mr. Jones?”

“Sir, I really can’t add anything to what’s already been said. Miss
Lamont is precious to all of us and her safety had to come first. But I’m sure
she’ll see that I pay dearly for my part in the rescue.”
 

“I ought to arrest the whole bunch of you,” Haywood said.

Dad met Haywood’s gaze and said in a pleasant, friendly tone, “May I
ask the charge? I’d like to call my attorney.”

Haywood folded his meaty arms. “I’ll get back to you after I list
all
of them. I don’t want to leave any
out. First, I need to view the medical examiner’s and bomb squad leader’s
reports
thoroughly
. One thing I’m certain of, Lamont, it’s no
conincidence that you’re always entangled in the werewolf attacks in this
community.”

Dad shook his head. “How many times do I have to prove my
innocence
before you finally accept it and go after
the real killer?”

****

Twenty minutes later, Valerie paced the floor of her dad’s in-home
office.

“Dad, it was cool the way you dealt with Officer Haywood, but I could
have handled the problems on site and alliviated suspicions if you’d just
trusted me.”

“Trusting you wasn’t the issue. Reeves is out there running loose and
no matter how capable you are—and I find you very capable—you can’t battle that
devil’s
protégé
alone. And you shouldn’t have to. This is a family matter that’s been going on
for generations.”

“Well it’s time one of us puts an end to it.” She
trembled inside with fear and anger but refused to back off. “I’m willing to be
the bait. So, let’s think of a plan to draw this unearthly beast to me. We’ll
need a strong metal cage and a mixer full of fresh cement. We’ll kill him, all
of us sticking knives deep into his evil carcass. Then we’ll bury him in
concrete and drop him in the deepest part of the ocean.”

She hadn’t heard Brian slip into the room. “Who is this
brutal, blood thirsty woman, Sir?” he asked.

Dad shook his head. “Maybe the serum has side effects.”

Valerie whirled and faced Brian. “You….you…caveman,”
she sputtered. “Don’t even start on me. And I’m warning you both.
 
I’d
rather be dead
than live the rest of my life wondering when that unearthly
blob of evilness is going to strike.”

The flash of fear in Dad’s eyes when she said she’d
rather be dead told her she’d hit a raw nerve. Her words were hard-hitting and cruel
considering all the family loved ones he’d lost to suicide. But laying her
issues on the table was the only surefire way to force these two men she adored
and sometimes resented to understand that she’d had it.

Their stunned expressions energized her. She was on a
roll.
 
“Get it through your heads.
 
I’m no longer willing to play
vulnerable Valerie
unless it produces
the end result—the death of the evil that has plagued our family and the whole community
every day of my life. Now, dammit, set it up.” She whirled, leaving them
speechless, and ran from the room.

****

“I’ve got to follow her, Sir,” Brian
said, feeling a sense of panic.

Damon nodded. “Bring her back when
she settles down. In the meantime—”

Valerie’s Dad was still talking,
but Brian didn’t hear the rest. He was already halfway out the door behind
Valerie. She ran across the lush green grounds toward the brown scrub-brush
hills. The wind lifted strands of her lemony blonde hair while the sun danced
golden highlights through it. Each flowing strand reminded him of sunlight on
the desert horizon. He imagined running his hands through the silken spun gold
and—

With his natural-born wolf-speed,
he caught up to her with ease. Before she could fight him off, he grabbed her
arms, drew her close, and arched her slender, well-formed supple womanliness
into the hard angles of his body.

Staring into her incensed
cactus-green eyes, sparking with fiery flecks of silver, he lowered his mouth
slowly toward hers until he felt her breath on his lips. He hovered there, yearning
to taste her sweetness, yet, savoring the tension building between them as they
glared into one another’s eyes. An invisible current of acute awareness, feral
and primal male-female consciousness, sizzled in the air between them like a
taut wire humming in the breeze.