Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(23)

He gave a slight nod and a too-long blink. Time to move past the dead girl. He didn’t need to be on that trip down memory lane. He didn’t appear much older than Star, making the loss one from his childhood. My heart hurt for him, for all of them. Maybe finding her body was my part in it all. Giving them closure, but now was not the time to perseverate on that.

“Anywho, let’s get back to that bear thing because the ghost keeps talkin’ bears and, not gonna lie, they freak me out.” They so very much did.

“More than gators?” He smirked.

“Yeah. I feel like on land, I have an edge up on gators, and with bears, I never do.” I knew they could run or what have ya, but I was so not going there now. Because—just nope.

“You’ve thought about this, I see.”

“Glad to amuse you, Mr. Already Has A Gun.”

“You think a gun will stop a gator?”

“Slow ’em down at least?” I shrugged, curling up in his arms because in for a penny...

“Or piss them off. Same with a bear.”

And that was exactly what I didn’t want to hear. Ghosts I could deal with, animals trying to eat me. Yeah...not so much.

“Stay in house. Check.” And get a huge gun, but I was leaving that off the table for the moment because arguing over it wasn’t going to lead to more kissing, and I wanted more kissing and a better angle on his lap. I mean, I got it, his gun holster was the reason I was at the angle I was, but I just wanted to be plastered against him because my hormones were all about the plan to forget giving up on men.

“You gotta do something about that bear. I mean, as a cop and all.”

“That bear’s not the kind of problem you think he is.” His body tensed, his eyes fell just above mine but not quite meeting them.

“Explain.” I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be a conversation that led to kisses.





Etienne

“As much as I love this position, and I really love this position, I can’t think with you so close to me.” I gave her hips a squeeze for effect. There were buttons on the front of her dress. I would bet anything she would be the most glorious sight if I simply reached forward and popped her dress open, revealing everything beneath it.

Tansy’s hips kept doing those little bucking movements. I didn’t even think she knew she was doing it. It was a natural reaction to me.

Which I loved.

And it had my gator fucking reeling.

He wanted her. He wanted to make her a nest and stand guard outside it, clamping his teeth down on anyone and anything that tried to get near her.

Thank the Creator he wasn’t in charge.

“Why don’t you sit next to me? This might be a little—jarring.”

“Now you’re scaring me,” she said as she shifted next to me, her leg barely brushing mine.

“There is nothing for you to be scared of, Tansy. No one will touch you. You’re...you’re safe.”

You’re mine.

“You know, I believe you. Tell me about these bears.”

“Ever heard of the rougarou? Werewolves? Shifters?”

Her brow furrowed for a second. “American Werewolf in London stuff? Sure. Everyone has.”

“You believe those things are real?”

A shrug was my answer.

“There are creatures in the swamp that can turn from human into animal. Especially around here. These swamps are pretty secluded.”

I expected her to at least have a small reaction. But she didn’t. Slow and steady.

“And you’ve seen these bear-men?”

“Bear-men? They prefer the term bear shifter.”

She opened and closed her mouth several times but didn’t ask any further questions. I thought I was in the clear until she laced her fingers through mine and gave my hand a tug.

“Is someone I know a shifter?”

My ears buzzed, and the air grew thicker around me—choking me. I’d known one day I would have to tell her.

I just didn’t expect it to be this day.

“Yes,” I answered quickly like a coward.

“How can I tell if someone is one of these bears? Wait, are any other animals shifters?”

I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. I couldn’t remember the last time anything in my life had made me break out in a sweat.

I had to tell her. Especially if she really was my mate. There were so many things to explain.

Plus, I had to give her a good chance to run away while she could. Tell me to go to Hell. Something.

My phone rang, and we both jumped at the sound.

“What in the ever-loving fuck do you want?” I growled into the phone.

I didn’t even know who it was.





Tansy

If I could throw his flippin’ phone across the room when it rang, I would’ve. He was just about to tell me he was a bear. A furry, teeth-chomping bear, and what happened? The stupid phone.

I’d known there was something off about him, different. Not bad, per se, in fact, all kinds of yummy goodness. That said, I was so not ready for our conversation to be interrupted.

As curses spewed from his mouth, and he slipped into some kind of wanna-be French, I knew that was what had effectively happened. Our conversation was over, and before I knew it, I stood in the doorway watching him storm outta there like he was being chased by a clown—or at least what I would look like if a clown were on my tail.