Hidden Passions (Hidden, #7)(41)

"No." Maria squirmed. "Everybody deserves their pack's support. We just . . . The family had hopes for him. I always dreamed of Ethan having more cousins. And . . ."

"And?"

"It makes me feel funny, knowing he lied to us for so long. I adore Tony. He should have trusted me."

"Maybe he wanted to trust you. Maybe he just was more afraid you'd stop adoring him."

"I didn't!" Maria lowered her voice so as not to wake her son. "I couldn't. I cried like a baby after he broke the news."

Chris smiled at the confession. He could tell Maria was a good sister. She turned to face him more on the seat.

"You're easy to talk to," she observed. "For a cat."

Chris laughed. She said this like he'd tricked her into it. "Cats are sly. You never know what we'll lure you into."

Soon enough they pulled into the weedy lot behind the boarded up social club. Lou's Place was a two-story bar and pool hall--or it had been until Chris took possession. The Shifter Courts had awarded him the property as restitution for Mark Naegel killing his brothers. Rejecting the settlement would have been an insult to Naegel's clan, but Chris had never had the heart to run the place. Every now and then he checked to make sure it hadn't fallen down. Aside from that, he left it alone.

As he jogged around the car to help Maria and Ethan out, he sincerely hoped the water and electric were on.

The back door creaked open before Chris and Maria got to it. Syd stuck his dreadlocked head out and grinned.

"Everybody's here," he said in his quiet Jamaican accented voice. "They want to know why you've been holding out."

Chris hoped he could avoid getting into that. "Help me unload the car," he said. "Maria packed it with food."

No different from any hungry shifter, Syd rubbed his hands together. "Nice to meet you," he said to Maria. "I'm Syd."

She returned his greeting and went inside with Ethan drooped over her shoulder.

"Seriously, Chris," Syd said, accepting a load of boxes into big arms. "We could have had awesome parties here. You've got four vintage pool tables gathering, like, thirty years of dust."

It was twenty-eight years, but Chris didn't feel like explaining that either.

"I take it you removed the covers."

"Vasur did. And was coughing for ten minutes. We got the lights hooked up and the water running. There's a stock of salted nuts and pretzels in the storeroom. Liam ate some and didn't die, so we're thinking they're all right."

Chris balanced his load one-handed and closed up the SUV. The thought of Liam playing food canary made him smile.

"Really, Chris," Syd went on more seriously. "Why did you keep this place a secret?"

"I sort of . . . inherited it. I have bad memories wrapped up in it."

Syd looked like he wanted to push. That was no surprise. Cats had issues about closed doors. In the end, Syd didn't ask more questions, mainly because he had a trickier issue to bring up. He paused with his hand on the heavy back door's lever, obliging Chris to stop with him. Tiny flakes of rust fell down from the bad weather overhang.

"I should warn you," Syd said, "Adam Santini sent one of his wolves over. Apparently, he thinks we can't protect his people without a cop in charge."

"O-kay," Chris said slowly, not understanding Syd's sneering tone. It seemed to do with more than answering to a wolf. "Is there some reason the men can't put up with that for a while?"

"It's the gay guy," Syd said.

Chris required all his supe self-control to prevent heat from flooding into his face. Syd was generally laidback. Was Liam's prejudice spreading to the crew? "Being gay doesn't mean he can't oversee security."

"He's their omega," Syd emphasized. "It's insulting. Liam is fuming, and I'm not sure you can count on the others to stop the explosion."


"I doubt Santini meant to insult us. He probably trusts the guy."

"He's no higher ranked than Liam. And he's little."

Calling Tony little was stretching it. He was an inch taller than Vasur--not as heavy, Chris guessed, but no feather. Not sure whether to laugh or sigh, he rubbed his itching cheek on his shoulder. "I'll talk to Liam. I get why he's resentful. He probably feels he answers to enough people already. You others are going to have to be more mature. I mean it," he added when Syd drew breath to speak. "Wolf or not, omega or not, we're all working for the same things. Let's go inside now, before my arms fall off."

As soon as they entered the dark back hall, a mix of smells hit his nose. He identified Santini's wolves and his and Evina's cats. Tony's individual scent markers cut through them all. Chris realized he knew Tony's personal fragrance as well as any of his crew--and reacted to it more strongly. Feeling like he was back in high school, he ordered his dick not to get excited. All he needed to send this situation into a tailspin was to throw a big boner.

Jaw clenched, he followed Syd to the storeroom. As they finished stowing the food, Liam's voice rose above the rest. "I'm not giving a f*cking dog my cellphone."

"Liam," Evina warned with a noticeable growl. This should have silenced the rebellious cat.