Marc (Bowen Boys, #4)(17)

And you were a part of this bunch? She nodded. How long did you work for him before you escaped?

A month. He had my friend, Anita Kidd. He said that he would kill her if I didn’t do what he wanted of me. That once I was in the house and got him what he wanted from the family, he’d let her go, and me. But he lied to me, so I told him that he had to let us go. When he didn’t, I made my own arrangements. That’s when I saw him kill her as I was leaving to find her. He killed her while they were in his bedroom.

He didn’t think that sounded right but didn’t comment. He watched her as she got up to move back and forth in front of him. Marc had no idea why but he had a feeling she had forgotten about him in favor of the memory she was having.

I don’t know though. It sounded like her, but…. She looked at him as he shifted his legs again, but again he had the feeling she wasn’t see him. She wasn’t very upset with him, not like I thought she’d be for being tied up. She’d sounded like…almost like she’d been reading from a script. Him too. I wonder now if they had been practicing for this moment, like they knew at some point that I’d have to see this.

Why? She looked at him this time, really looked. Why do you think they were practicing? What did you hear or see that made you think that? Tell me, Joan, don’t think just say it.

She was laughing when I climbed out the window and left. I heard her laughter. She looked at him, confused. Dead women don’t laugh.

She lay down again and watched him. He didn’t try to fill the silence with small talk and was pretty sure she’d not tolerate it if he did. Instead, he let her think about whatever it was she was thinking about while he watched her. After an hour or so she finally spoke again.

I would like to shift now. If you’ll just step outside I won’t be able to leave. I can’t stay this way for very long or I won’t be able to shift back. He started to tell her that was an old wives tale but didn’t. If she shifted they could leave here soon and he could take her to his house. He nodded and stood up and walked to the door. Before he stepped through it, he turned back to her.

“Joan, will you tell me your real name now?” She watched him for long moments before she answered him. He thanked her and moved out of the room so she could change, and he contacted Khan.

I need you to find out all you can about theft’s concerning homes with exotic pets and anything you can find on Jonny Thomas. He repeated it twice more so that Khan could write it down. She’s coming to my house for now, and I’ll bring her to you sometime in the next few days.

She trusts you then? Good. We can’t help her if she won’t let us. How did you get her to open up? You didn’t f*ck her into submission, did you? Khan’s laughter pissed him off a little, and he had to take a couple of short breaths so he wouldn’t snarl at him.

She’s my mate. I just figured it out today. That shut him up quickly. He waited for Khan to say something, anything, but he didn’t. Marc closed off the connection as soon as he heard Jonny moving toward him.

~~~

She let him lead her to his car. It wasn’t that she was giving into him, she was just beaten. When he turned onto the main highway, she looked at him. She tried to think her best way out of town.

“I think the best solution is for you to take me to the bus station. I’m pretty sure I have enough money for a ticket to somewhere. I’ve about four thousand dollars.” He glanced at her but didn’t say anything. “I have some money here that I’d like you to give to the owner of the building I was using. I’m not sure how much rent it is but I—”

“I own the buildings on either side of me. I bought them several years ago with plans of turning them into offices. I just never got around to it.” She nodded and reached into her bag to get his money. “And I’m not taking your money, so if that’s what you’re reaching for, you might as well put it back.”

“But I lived there for almost two months without paying for anything. I’m not a mooch. I already paid the man I took the clothes from. He didn’t seem to have any problems taking my money.”

“Did he know you took the clothes and then eventually paid him back?” She shook her head. “Well I do, and I’m not taking it. Also, just to give you a heads up, I own The Vintage Shoppe too. And I’m not taking you to the bus station.”

She looked out the window and wondered how much a plane ticket was going to cost her when he drove past that exit too. Jonny turned in her seat and looked at him. He was driving her nuts.

“I demand that you pull over this minute and let me out. I thought you were going to help me get away. They’re close, and if you’re with me, he might do something stupid and….” Something he’d said at the apartment occurred to her. “You said I didn’t recognize that we were the same. What did you mean by that?”

“Just what you think it means. I’m a panther too. My entire family is. My parents were full-bloods, and so each of us boys is as well.” He glanced at her. “I don’t know that you’re a full-blood, but you’re very close. Are your parents both panthers?”

“Neither of them is. I think maybe I was adopted, but I never asked and they never treated me like I was anything but theirs. Then when I was thirteen, I became this thing and they still loved me.” She watched the trees fly by as he got off the highway and onto a street. “I haven’t seen them in five months. I was afraid that Roy will go and hurt them to get me to come to them.”