Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(50)

“Ohhhh, marked I see.”

I yanked at my shirt, suddenly very self-conscious of the mark. Around the guys, I wore it like a badge of acceptance and honor. Around Meemaw, it was proof I had sex, and ewww.

“I want to hear all the details.”

“Do you? Do you really?” Because I sure as hell didn’t want to share them.

“Not so much,” she finally agreed after being given my best evil eye. “So, why have you been pestering me lately?”

“Meaning you hear but ignored me?” I had assumed she couldn’t hear me. Never had I thought she heard, but disregarded my calling. It caused a little bit of hurt, sure. But it also meant there was so much more to what I could do than I even knew.

“Meaning, I heard but was otherwise occupied.” She had the this-conversation-is-over tone she was so famous for, and I decided to let it drop for the meanwhile. Once she got to that point, anything else was a fool’s errand.

“Bruno is haunted.”

“Bruno is awful.”

“Truth, but he’s being driven mad, and I’m pretty sure I escalated things, so if you could help me figure out how to get a drunk ghost filled with hate, vengeance, and complete unclarity to move on, I’d be pretty excited.”

Meemaw bounced to the other side of the room and moseyed back. She had been a pacer when she got too pensive. I guessed this was her ghost version.

“Drunk,” she mumbled just as she got back to the sink I was now leaning on. “Of course. I thought something was off about him but figured Bruno ate him and deserved it.”

“I kinda did, too. But I need to help him.” The last thing this town needed was a bear losing control, and I’d never say it so bluntly to Etienne, but I was terrified that was exactly what was about to go down.

“Sounds like they both need help.” She bopped across the room again in her ghostly pacing. “Let’s get them to Etienne’s place. That way, if Bruno loses it, the crew—”

“They say they aren’t a crew.” Holy cow, I sounded like Loic.

“Even they don’t believe that.” Meemaw was right. I didn’t. Etienne didn’t, either, but something was going to have to change before they all realized it and embraced it. I wasn’t even a shifter, and I felt its importance. They had to as well.

“Bruno will come. He wants the ghost gone.”

“Excellent. I will meet you there.” She disappeared before flashing back in and adding, “But don’t tell Bruno why. If his ghost catches wind of it, then he may make things difficult.”

“Wait!” I screamed louder than necessary, afraid she would leave again before I was able to talk to figure out what she had meant by all of that. “You can go places?”

How had I not known that?

“Not randomly, no. But I can hang here or follow your backside all day long iffin’ I want.”

“So, are you haunting me?” How had I not realized that? “Technically, I mean.”

“No. I’m not haunting anyone or any place.” Because that clarifies things not at all.

“That makes no sense.” I spoke to what was now an empty room, because, of course, she left.

I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and typed away. Bring Bruno to Shotgun Row. Don’t tell him I asked you to. Ghost Buster time.

I sighed as the phone started ringing in my hand. It couldn’t be that easy.





Etienne



“I really don’t want to do that.” That was the nicest way I could think of to tell Tansy I didn’t want to bring Bruno to Shotgun Row. Not only was he an ass, there was a distinct possibility the crew would tear him a new bear asshole.

We didn’t take kindly to stinky bears. And by kindly, I meant not tearing his head off and turning him into a bitchin’ rug.

“Etienne. This ghost being around is crawlin’ all over my last nerve. Please. Get him here so I can solve all of this garbage and we can move on with our lives.”

If she was in front of me, there probably would’ve been less resistance on my part.

“Well…” I lowered my voice an octave. “What do I get if I do?”

I could almost hear her fists ball up and land on her hips. “Um, let me see, you get a mate who isn’t going to be mad as a hornet when you get home. How’s that?”

Damn, I loved it when she got fiery.

“Okay, okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Now, please. This ghost is not that nice.”

Well, that did it.

I stomped down the hallway toward the target of my mate’s request. I’d wrangle him into the trunk if I had to.

“Yo, Bruno, let’s take a drive.”

Smooth. Real smooth.

“Have you lost your mind? I’ve got work to do. And my nerves are a mess. Wait, where did you want to go?”

His office was a damned pigsty, and his hair looked like he’d combed it with a pork chop. Disgusting.

“Actually, over to Shotgun Row. There’s something I wanted to get your opinion on.” Like your opinion on getting rid of that leech of a ghost.

“Fuck, Eti, I don’t know. That leaves ole Theriot by himself. I’m not sure we can trust him yet.”

Yeah, because Theriot had only been an officer for seven years.