Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(33)

I had to chuckle at Meemaw’s response, as if gator were the crown jewel of shifters.

“What do you mean, you knew shifter?” Because if there were a way to figure out who turned furry or scaly, I was all about acquiring that skill.

“Don’t tell me you can’t feel he is more than.” She managed to not answer without actually answering my questions, as seemed to be one of her gifts.

I had, but more in the girl kind of way. I hadn’t sensed it on anyone else around here. Or, if I had, I hadn’t noticed. Next time I was down at Shotgun Row, as the guys called it, I was gonna see if I could sense them or what have ya.

“Not my gift, Meemaw.” I turned the heat down slightly. “I just talk to you all, you guys who won’t move on.”

“I will when I’m ready.” Her stupid pat answer. Something was keeping her here. I didn’t poke around too much because I was selfish, but eventually I would have to. It was only right. “I’m havin’ too much fun right now.”

“I’m not even going to argue with—”

I was cut off by Bruno’s ghost standing in front of me after walking through the stove.

Stinks. If he was here, so was Bruno.

“Don’t let the bear in,” he screamed just as there was a knock at the door.

Meemaw held her finger up, indicating I should keep silent, or the ghost should, I wasn’t sure which. I was so on board with the silence plan.

“I see the light on, Tansy.” Sugar. It was Bruno. Bear— Bruno was the flipping bear, as if it couldn’t be any more obvious given his effin’ name. I was an idiot.

“I can’t come to the door now.” Because I don’t want to die like the dude following your butt around.

“This bear tastes lies. This bear spews lies. This bear lives a lie. Ha—all the lies.” The ghost repeated “lies” over and over again.

So I needed to tell the truth without saying I wasn’t going to let him in because a ghost of a person he killed told me not to. Easy peasy. I sighed before hollerin’ back, “I’m in the middle of cookies, and I need to man the stove.” My excuse was only true for about thirty seconds when I needed to remove the concoction from the burner, but there was no way I’d offer that tidbit up.

“I can wait.” Of course he freakin’ could.

“Is there an emergency, Officer?” If there were, the ghost wouldn’t be pacing across the kitchen, mumbling not to let him in, but the question bought me time to think.

“It can wait until you’re done.” Of freakin’ course it could.

Grabbing my phone, I pulled up the names and numbers Etienne gave me, and I thankfully had programmed them into my phone. One by one, I shot off the same text, starting with Etienne.

Bruno’s outside the bakery. Wants to come in. Ghost says not to. Can’t stall long.

So much for keeping my gift secret.





Etienne



“I swear I saw it. It was right there. I heard the teeth.”

There’s no way this almost one-hundred-year-old woman who had more cars than teeth heard a nutria in the swamp behind her.

And even if she did, why in the fuck did that warrant calling the fucking cops?

“Okay. Why is that an emergency, ma’am?”

She looked at me with her zip-up house dress on, with her hands on her hips, and scowled. “Where there’s one, there’s more. And they eat up the swamps. Before you know it, I’ll be homeless. Merde.”

Nothin’ like an old Coonass lady cussing better than most men.

Still, why was this an emergency?

“Here’s what I’m going to do…” She smelled faintly shifter. So, either she was mated to a shifter at one point, or she was one and hadn’t shifted in so long, the scent of her animal had faded. “I know some people who can come over here and scare them off. Big swamp animals should be able to scare them off, don’t you think?”

A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, revealing some gums. “My husband was one of those big animals when he wanted to be. I ain’t no couillon.”

She wasn’t stupid. She was right. But she did know shifters.

“Okay. Why don’t you show me all the places you’ve seen them and I’ll make sure someone or something takes care of the issue. By the way, how did you get the station on the phone? I don’t even have service out here.”

“I got an old ham radio. Called the station through that.”

Bruno was the only one on the force who knew how to use that damned thing. He was the one who wanted me out here.

At least my boys were on call in case Tansy needed me.

As I rode into town later, when I hit the sweet spot where my phone had service again, it started ringing and beeping like it was an ambulance. What the fuck?

I called Justice first, since most of the messages were from him.

“What the hell is happening?”

His voice was soft like leather. “Eti, I’m at the bakery. Bruno was trying to get in here to talk to Tansy for some reason. I had to come in and help her making fucking cakes so I was here.”

He was calm, but he wasn’t making any sense.

“Is my mate safe? That’s all I need to know.”

“She is safe but a little shaken up. Get your ass over here.”