Khan (Bowen Boys, #2)(24)
Closing his eyes again, he relaxed. He was exhausted and sore. His arms hurt, and his hand did as well. When he tried to think how he’d hurt himself, the same pictures flashed in his eyes. Blocking them out as best he could, he worked his toes to uncurl, to relax.
He moved up his body as he’d been told to do when he couldn’t sleep. First, his toes. Then, his calves. His knees were next then up his thighs. When he would lose his place, he simply started over. Toes, knees, then thighs, each time moving up his body slowly and making himself be calm. When he was relaxed enough, he let his body go, and he drifted away.
The phone ringing woke him. By the time he realized that it was not the phone but an alarm, he was wide awake. He stretch and then got up. There were clothes on the floor, but he ignored them and went toward the shower. Tony felt great, fantastic even.
“This is going to be the day. I’m going to find my love and we’re going to go to my mother’s house and plan a big wedding for next month. January will be a new month and a new beginning.” He turned on the television as he walked by it.
By the time he was finished in the bathroom, he was starving. Stepping over to the phone to order room service, he caught a glimpse of his father on the television. Reaching for the remote, he wondered what he’d done now and was surprised when the view turned to his mother’s house. Turning the volume up, he watched as the police and other people moved around in the yard of his mother’s home.
“…sometime yesterday afternoon. The police aren’t saying anything right now, but sources tell us that it was brutal and they are both dead.”
“Do we know if it was a breakin or not, Shanna? I understand that the Barrs were divorced. Can they tell us why Senator Barr was at the home of his ex-wife?”
“It is my understanding that they had a standing date, as it were, to meet every Wednesday. The senator would come over around two in the afternoon and stay until nine or so, but was always gone by ten. The neighbors around here are shocked by this. They said that both of the Barrs were good, upstanding people.”
Tony turned it off. His parents were dead? When? How? Why hadn’t anyone gotten in touch with him? And why did he have to learn about it from the news stations instead of before now? He sat on the bed and tried to remember the last time he’d talked to them. His father often, but his mother? He didn’t know. He knew that she’d been… Tony needed to contact Monica. The wedding would have to be postponed, of course, and if there were any gifts yet, then they would have to be returned until later.
Tony wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to talk to Monica. Monica had to be… He looked at the remote in his hand and the phone on the bedside table. He had to find her. This was her fault. Had she just…he couldn’t remember what, but now he knew that it was completely her fault.
Chapter Nine
Monica sat in the window seat and watched the ground below her. She had no idea how long she’d been there, but she supposed it was for a while. Khan had come up for a little while, and when she’d asked to be alone, he’d left, but she knew he hadn’t wanted to. Then when he’d come to bed, she’d pretended to be asleep until she came to be sitting here. He hadn’t moved since.
“You can tell me if you want to.”
His voice didn’t startle her like she thought it should have.
“What’s wrong? Are you still thinking about Barr?”
“Some, but not all.” She continued looking out the window. “Caitlynne said that he would be caught, and when he was, she’d make sure he never got out.”
“She’s someone you can trust. Her word is her bond.” Khan didn’t get up, but she heard him shift around on the bed. “What else is bothering you?”
What wasn’t? she wanted to ask him. But she watched a deer walk through the snow nibbling on grass. She decided that she would ask some of the questions she had about being his mate. “This thing, this mate thing, you said that we’re a mated pair. What does that mean? I’ll be cat too?” He moved again and she knew he was uncomfortable with the question. Or the answer.
“No. Converting a human to cat is very dangerous. When Walker converted Caitlynne, he said that his cat had done it. He said that—”
“His cat? You mean you have no control over your own body when you’re a panther?” She heard the panic, but didn’t care. “You mean you can hurt me when you’re a cat?”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I have full control over him even during sex, but sometimes he…he sort of convinces us that things could be this way or that. Like with Caitlynne. Walker’s cat wanted her changed, and he convinced Walker that it was a good idea.” She didn’t like the sound of that and told him so. “It’s like when you know something is a bad idea even when you’re doing it, but it sounds so good at the time, you let yourself believe that things will work out. That’s the way that Walker explained it.”
“Did you get those thoughts when we had sex?” She wasn’t sure if she really wanted the answer, but now that the question was out there, she thought she did.
“Yes. All the time when I’m with you, even when I’m not with you.” She looked over at him when he spoke. His voice had taken on that purr again, and it was low and full of sex.