Welcome to the Neighborhood (30 page)

Alexi stepped into the cornfield and the fragrant odor of fertilizer overwhelmed her. Easing the urge to vomit, she quickly cut off her sense of smell. She pushed aside the stalks of corn and they rustled as they bumped against each other. Bugs hummed and buzzed until she came to close to them. Some became silent while others flew up into the dusk sky. With each step, her feet sank into the soft ground and she was grateful she’d worn an older pair of tennis shoes. Without a doubt, they were going to be a muddy mess in serious need of cleaning when she returned home.

Rays from the sun touched her face and head. Her hair soaked in the warmth like a sponge and caused her scalp to itch. The light sensation was a reminder the sunlight, even at dusk, would drain her slowly. A long-sleeved shirt and jeans hid the most of her body and offered her protection. She wouldn’t dehydrate too fast with such a small amount of exposed flesh, but the loss of energy would rouse her hunger. She’d have to feed once she returned home.

Excitement fueled her steps. She wasn’t far from claiming her property, and she didn’t have to worry about one of the thieves aiming a gun at Greg. In fact, she didn’t have to concern herself with facing any of them. For once, luck had landed in her lap. She could sneak in, grab her belongings, then slip out. Her clients’ finances and identities would remain safe, and her career could continue as if nothing ever happened. Thanks to Greg’s help.

A vice squeezed her heart. She loved Greg, and he loved her. But she had to leave him. To ensure he could live a happy, productive and successful life, she would have to move on without him. Love hurt worse than dying.

The fast patter of feet and heavy breaths alerted her to someone approaching, or rather, something. She paused, and twisted to get a view behind her. Through the plants and closer to the ground she spotted two large animals running toward her. One was darker than the other was. She couldn’t help but smile as she focused on the dark werewolf. He fixed his eyes on her, and she felt warmth spread within her body. He was such a stunning creature, inside and out. Every time he spoke to her, she felt calm and at peace. Every time he touched her, it didn’t matter where, desire ignited within her. One little kiss from him, and she was lost in an endless sea of love.

Leaving Greg was going to be the hardest thing she’d ever had to do in her existence.

The two wolves slowed as they drew near. When they reached her, the other werewolf passed by and Greg circled her legs. She bent and ran her hand along his back. As if he enjoyed her touch, he jumped up and licked her face.

“Okay, okay,” came flying out of her mouth. Normally, she didn’t mind his tongue on her, but in wolf form, well, it wasn’t quite the same.

A soft yap behind her stole her attention. The brown werewolf panted as it waited several feet ahead. He jerked his head in the direction she’d been heading.

“All right. Let’s go,” she said.

Greg stepped ahead of her and walked by Chris as he led the way through the cornfield. The two strode through the stalks with ease while Alexi had to push the tall plants aside and deal with bugs flying in front of her. For a brief moment, she considered transforming into a four-legged creature wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

After what seemed like a twenty-minute steady walk through the field, they reached the road. Greg crossed in front of her, bringing her to a halt while Chris continued. He stopped near the last row of corn and shifted his gaze from one direction to the other. Buzzing sounds from bugs and the swishing sound of the stalks were the only noises Alexi heard. She considered opening her sense of smell, but the fertilizer would easily overpower any other scents. Chris looked back at them, and gave a jerk of his head, motioning them to continue.

Chris dashed across the road as Alexi and Greg reached the end of the cornfield. She stayed two steps behind Greg and watched him peer between the plants. When he twisted his head and gave her nod, she understood the signal.

Alexi ran from the cornfield, down and up the ditch. Greg’s four feet moved quicker, and he was across the road before she’d put her second foot on it. But it didn’t take her long to catch up. Within seconds, she’d made it to the ditch on the other side of the road and darted into the tall plants.

Chris waited several feet ahead and took off in a light jog. Alexi slowed her pace and kept a small distance behind him while Greg ran in the next row at her side. Although she couldn’t see any barn or house nearby, the hum of a power line led her to believe they were heading in the right direction. Her anxiety rose and she had the urge to take charge, run fast and claim what was hers. But this wasn’t her territory and changing any plan might be viewed as disrespectful. Biting her tongue and clasping her fists tight, she followed Chris like an obedient soldier. Besides, there was no need to rush anything since she was mere minutes away from collecting her property back.

Reaching an end of the cornfield, they came to halt. A long, paved driveway lay several feet ahead and farther to the right, Alexi saw the top of a barn. Chris strolled out onto the driveway and stopped in the middle. He lifted his muzzle, sniffing the air. Greg stepped from the field and shifted his gaze, scanning. From where Alexi stood, the only heartbeats she heard were from the werewolves. The area was free to roam.

She walked out of the stalks and headed for the driveway. The white farmhouse with shingles missing from the roof and chipped, wood siding looked in need of repair. A portion of the gutter lay on the ground amongst overgrown lawn. Weeds and patches of dead grass indicated the yard needed some TLC too.

Alexi stepped onto the paved path leading to the barn. Not surprisingly, the structure appeared in more disarray than the house. Green mold flourished on the faded wood. In some areas, planks of siding were missing and pieces of plywood covered some of the gaps. A black tarp covered a large portion of the roof. If a building inspector came by, he’d probably demand demolition of the barn.

She passed a beat-up, rusted truck without tires sitting on concrete blocks. Judging from the style, she ascertained it dated from the 1950s. She wondered how long it had sat on the side and forgotten about. Was there anything that wasn’t in need of repair?

Alexi stopped in front of the entrance to the barn. One of the doors hung sideways. In the center, a heavy chain with a padlock clung to the metal handles. She picked up the shiny lock. Amazingly, it looked new compared to the thick, black chain.

“Can you break it?” Greg asked, naked and walking toward her from the side.

She paused to scan of his hard, muscular body. A light sheen coated him, similar to the last time she’d seen him change. Her mouth watered at the sight of him. Oh, how she wanted to suck on his erect nipples. Solid ripples defined his torso. Following the thin line of dark hair south of his navel, she found the stiffest part of his body and heat coiled within her. He tempted her as he approached in such a hard and lively fashion, especially now that she’d taken pleasure from him. She couldn’t look away and it was damn hard to resist touching him.

“Can you break it?” he asked again, smiling as he stopped beside her.

She blinked to snap out of her trance. “Uh…probably.”

She turned her attention to the silver lock in her hand. The shiny lock was thick, but no match for her strength. She tugged on the metal. It didn’t break so she continued pulling on it. The metal bent and a second later, the lock made a pinging sound and snapped into pieces.

“Did you get it off?” Chris said as he strode toward them.

Alexi glanced past Greg and found Chris naked too. She turned her eyes back to the door, uninterested in seeing Chris’s body. The man she wanted stood next to her.

“Yes, I managed to break it.” She untangled the chain from the handles and dropped the blackened links on the ground.

Greg heaved the door open and the hinges squealed loudly. “I’ll go first.” He stepped inside before she could argue.

Alexi followed him into the dark barn and stopped after a few steps. The front of a moving van faced her, and it looked similar to the ones that transported her belongings. A Chicago Blackhawks sticker clung to the bumper. A chill crawled through her as she remembered seeing it when the van pulled in her driveway.

A loud screeching sound behind her forced her to turn her attention. Behind her, Chris pulled on the door until it bumped into the other.

“There’s nothing living in here, other than a few bats and spiders,” Greg said. “Shall we look around?”

“I think this is the same van. I recognize the hockey sticker.” She pointed at the bumper.

He threaded his fingers between hers and squeezed. “Let’s check in the back.”

She followed Greg as he led her around the van. Smiling, she stayed a step behind him and admired the curves of his ass. What a fine one it was. Squeezable, spankable and delicious enough to bite. He stopped at the back of the van.

She took a quick look around the barn and found nothing but two doors, one at each end of the barn. A workbench with tool littered across it backed up to the wall near the farthest door. The rest of the area appeared clean. She shifted her gaze to the van and found the back wide open.

She moved closer to the vehicle. “There’s nothing here.” Only tarps and blankets lied on the floor.

Chris came around Greg’s side, sniffing the air. “Do you smell something odd?”

Alexi ambled near the back of the van. Fear and anger crept into her soul. Where was her safe?

“I smell it too. It’s burned metal and some kind of fuel,” Greg said, and she twisted to face him. “Can you smell it?”

She opened her senses and breathed. Greg’s description was accurate. The stench of fuel and burned metal lingered. “I do, but it’s weak. Could be residue from days ago.”

Chris passed Alexi and Greg with his head tilted slightly back and nose in the air. She wondered where he was heading, but her attention shifted when as her handsome man pointed his head toward the ground a few feet from the van. Clearly, he was searching for something. She looked down near his feet, trying to see what he was seeing, if there was anything.

“I don’t see any tracks. The concrete looks clean,” Greg said.

More fear stirred in her gut. The moving van was the same one that had been to her house. She was sure of it. They’d used a dolly to unload her safe. Surely, it had to be around there somewhere. She straightened and scanned the room.

“What are you looking for?” Greg asked.

“They used a dolly to unload my safe. It should be here.”

“I think I found the source of the fuel you mentioned,” Chris said, bent over with his hand on a tank underneath the table.

Finding no trace of the dolly, she strode toward Chris. He grabbed a long tube connected to the tank and followed it to a tool lying on the table. “It’s a blowtorch,” he said, lifting the tool.

She sniffed it and recognized the propane scent. “That’s definitely it.”

“And the odor is the strongest in this area,” Chris said as he placed the torch back on the table.

Frustration gnawed at her, and she stiffened. No safe. No dolly. No trace of any tracks. Nothing but the scent of propane connected to a blowtorch and burned metal. She scanned the items on the table, looking for more clues.

“This door is locked,” Greg said, drawing her attention to him.

She rushed to stand beside him, a touch of hope and anticipation lifting her mood. He wrapped both hands around the knob and twisted it. Following a loud snap, he said, “Got it.”

Greg walked into the room first. Alexi dashed past him and stopped in the middle as he flipped on a light. The room was one big office with an out dated computer on a desk. Posters of naked women hung on the walls. A shaded, rectangular window on the back wall allowed light to spill in. A cot lay underneath it with a duffel bag sitting on the makeshift bed.

Greg stopped near the desk and turned to face her. “The burned metal smell is strong in here.”

She moved toward him, sniffing the air. The powerful odor flooded her nose. “What could they have…”

She stopped when she noticed the dolly in the corner. “Greg, look.” She pointed to the dolly. Not far from it, a tarp hid something the same height as a small filing cabinet.

A rush of adrenaline surged through Alexi. She darted around Greg and yanked the cover. Her jaw dropped when she saw the inside of her safe. The door leaned against the side and an entire side was charred.

“Fuck!” she shouted and pushed the door aside as if it were a toy. It smacked the floor hard and made a clung sound.

She froze with her hands on her head, fingers entwined in her hair. Panic consumed her thoughts as she stared at the bare shelves. “They’re gone. Everything is gone.”

The emptiness of the safe matched her soul. She wanted to scream and cry. She worked so hard to achieve where she was at, and now, her career would be over. The thieves had access to her client’s accounts. If they’d taken money, she was doomed. Surely, one of her clients would someone to hunt her down. She’d have to go into hiding for decades, if not a half century. And if she didn’t have enough to worry about with her clients, her maker was another one to fear. Fury would dominate him if someone tampered with his assets. On top of that, if the vampires he created came after him for avenging their family’s deaths, he would surely know how they came to such information and he’d seek revenge. Her way of life was ruined.

A hand touched her shoulder and she flinched.

“Whoa,” Greg said, removing his hand. “It’s just me.”

Tears swelled in her eyes. “My career is over. I’ll never be able to walk freely again.”

He gently placed his hands on her cheeks. “Listen to me.” He placed his face in front of hers and stared deep into her eyes. “No one is going to hurt you. Not on my clock.”

She blinked and the tears fell from her eyes. “They could hurt you. Kill you. I won’t allow it.”

“We leave and hide. With my savings and yours, we can find somewhere safe. I will protect you. I give you my word.”

She took his hands and slid them off from her face. “No, Greg. I can’t let you give up everything you worked to achieve just for me. It wouldn’t be right. You deserve to be happy.”