Page 16 of Wild Reckoning

If Frank were going to live there—for reasons Alonso couldn’t fathom—he could’ve at least raked the yard of all its leaves. You could toss a body to the ground and lose it in the mess.

“That sounds like a you problem,” Tetlow said in that same calm, irritating tone. “He’s your uncle, so take care of it.”

Alonso’s heart quickened. “I’m a transporter and stash guy. You can’t ask me to kill my own uncle.”

He and Frank had rarely gotten along, but Alonso wasn’t a killer. The importance of getting to the goods was undeniable, but Alonso felt queasy just thinking about offing Frank.

“Who said anything about killing him? Did you hear me say those words?” Tetlow had lost his calm demeanor, now sounding irritated.

Alonso heard a female in the background whispering something to Tetlow, but she’d said it too softly to hear.

That explained why the guy wasn’t interested in helping him. The son of a bitch was getting laid.

“We have two days to deliver,” Alonso reminded him. “I’ll get my uncle out by morning, and you ditch the female and meet me here around five.”

He was glad when Tetlow laughed. That was a good sign his boss wasn’t going to gut and bury him. There was nearly a million dollars’ worth of merchandise in the house, and Alonso needed to get to it.

Queasy or not, he wasn’t going to let Frank stand in his way. Tetlow could be downright nasty when pissed off, but the guy’s boss was what nightmares were made of.

Chapter Four

While Killian held the sleeping cub inches above the mattress, Stewart scrambled to get the flat sheet on and tucked in, careful not to bump the hovering toddler.

After the last corner was secured, Killian gently lowered Ethan. Stewart lay a blanket over him before tucking it around the boy and turning him into a tiny burrito.

“Teamwork,” Stewart whispered triumphantly. They high-fived over Ethan, their hands lingering like neither wanted to be the first to pull away. Killian’s skin tingled, their palms pressed together, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

But he felt the slight tremor in Stewart’s hand and caught the uncertainty in the depths of his green eyes. A vulnerability his mate was afraid to expose.

Killian smiled, pretending everything was perfectly normal. Like there wasn’t a strong attraction between them that Stewart was fighting against and Killian wanted to explore.

Gently, he lay the stuffed bear against Ethan, still shaking his head at the inside joke. The moment felt comfortable and easy, like they’d been a family for years instead of less than a day.

But as much as Stewart smiled and teased, Killian knew his mate was holding something back. He could feel it in the air between them. The secret Ethan had confided in him.

That only made the realization hit Killian harder than ever. If he wanted Stewart to trust him with his secrets, Killian would have to share his own.

He would have to tell Stewart the truth. That he was a bear shifter and the human standing so close to him, making his pulse race, was his mate.

They crept out of Ethan’s room, then made Stewart’s bed next. Killian watched the focused way his mate moved, the way his brow furrowed in concentration, the curve of his lips when he muttered under his breath. More than once, their arms brushed as they worked, sending little sparks of awareness shooting between them.

Stewart’s scent, clean and warm, filled Killian’s senses, and the urge to pull him close surged with every breath. But he bit it back. Not yet. Not until he found out what was making his mate so jittery.

After setting up the baby gate, Killian started a fire in the fireplace, feeling Stewart’s eyes on him the entire time.

It was hard to concentrate, though, with the way Stewart kept glancing over at him, as if trying to figure him out.

Satisfied his mate and the cub were warm and safe, Killian reluctantly turned to say goodnight to Stewart. He didn’t want to leave. Every cell in his body yearned to stay close, to bridge the small distance between them. The pull toward Stewart was strong—fierce, even—but Killian could tell the guy was still nervous, still unsure, and he wasn’t going to push his mate.

“Did you make sure the back door was locked?” Killian knew full well Stewart had already checked. He was stalling, trying to think of any excuse to delay leaving. He needed more time, needed to be near Stewart just a little longer.

Something in the man’s body language told Killian that Stewart wasn’t ready for him to leave either.

“I checked it twice, at your insistence.” Stewart smiled, the corners of his mouth twitching in a way that made Killian’s heart beat faster. “Should I try for a third? The deadbolt and lock might have magically disengaged since I last checked it five minutes ago.”

Killian chuckled, but the sound came out rougher than he intended. “You never know. Locks are sneaky like that. They pull all kinds of stunts when you’re not looking.” He moved closer to the fire, needing something to do with his hands, though the house was already warm.

“I’ve heard that about them.”

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