Page 20 of More Than Meets the Eye

Sometimes, it was easy to forget how dangerous Jack really was. But he’d been the North American commander of the forces that put down the rogue vampire uprisings, and that wasn’t a job they gave out for being nice. After the vampires had brainwashed a lot of important people into creating a third house of Congress specifically for vampires, they’d then tried to take over the country through vampire-first laws, banking, and more. Jack had been one of a rebel force that worked and fought hard to pull the vampire-induced wool off everyone’s eyes, so they could see what was happening. When they were finally successful, the end of the vampire aristocracy taking over the United States occurred pretty quickly.

But a lot of very important people owed Jack a lot of very big favors.

We in Dead End had known for a very long time—since the town’s founding—that the Fae, vampires, shapeshifters, and other “mythical” creatures and beings really existed, but it hadn’t been even two decades since the rest of the world found out. The shock waves from that discovery had smashed their way around the globe, causing wars and terror and worse.

I reached over and squeezed Jack’s hand, maybe too tightly. I was awfully glad that he’d survived.

I think he saw what I was thinking, because he leaned over and kissed the top of my head. Then he stood up, and everybody else did, too.

“Okay. Tess is exhausted. She went to work at six this morning to do the inventory. Can we do something about getting the body out of here so we can get some sleep?”

Reynolds nodded, but his expression was troubled. “Not meaning any offense, Sheriff, but are you sure your brother had nothing to do with this?”

Susan leveled a steady look at him. “Yes. I’m sure.”

“He’s avampire.”

“And you’re awerewolf.Does that mean you’re a suspect, based simply on that? Is Jack a suspect, too, then? Tess’s grandmother is a banshee. Does that make her a suspect?”

“No, but?—”

“No, period.” Jack said, cutting off any incipient argument. “Let’s regroup tomorrow. Oh, Reynolds, speaking of wolf shifters, though, can we talk to you about Lizzie?”

Reynolds tilted his head in almost exactly the same way that Shelley’s pug did sometimes. I managed not to tell him this, but I was exhausted, so it was a close thing.

“I thought I smelled something,” he rumbled.

“She’s almost a werewolf,” I said.

“Ah.” Reynolds nodded. “No shifting yet?”

“No, but I hoped that if you took her on your moon run tomorrow night, your pack might help her over the last hurdle,” Jack said, leading the sheriffs down the short hallway toward the front door. “What do you think?”

“Traumatic start?” Reynolds asked with compassion. “We’ve had people with that. Sure. I’ll talk to her tonight.”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry about your man,” Jack said, shaking the Riverton sheriff’s hand.

I shook off my tiredness. “Yes. I’m sorry, Paul, I should have said that first thing. I’m so sorry for your loss. Both as your deputy and as your beta. Does—did he have a family? Can I take a casserole somewhere?”

Reynolds smiled with obvious effort. “That’s really nice. I’ll let you know, but I doubt it. Quark was from up north, and he hadn’t made many friends here yet outside the pack. I know he doesn’t have a wife or kids. He was only beta because our last beta moved away, and nobody else wanted the job.”

A siren and lights heralded the crime scene people finally arriving, so the sheriffs went outside to deal with that. Jack started to follow them out and then turned around and pulled me into a warm hug.

“I’m so sorry about this, Tess. Having shadows of my old life haunt you wasn’t anything I ever wanted. I hope you don’t decide I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”

I hugged him back and then kissed him. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you today when you started jitterbugging.”

“I’m just glad there’s no video evidence of that,” he said with a heartfelt groan.

“As far as you know.”

I enjoyed his look of terror for almost three seconds before I burst out laughing. “I didn’t make a video. But maybe I need to check the interior security cameras …”

“Get some sleep if you can,” he said. “I’ll watch over this until they’re gone, and then I’m going to patrol and see what I can see. I’ll be in as soon as I can, but you and Lou are perfectly safe.”

He didn’t need to tell me that, but I appreciated the thought. “Jack. I’m always perfectly safe when I’m with you.”

When he kissed me this time, it was a “sweep me off my feet” kind of kiss, and I felt a little dizzy when he put me down.

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