Page 18 of Guarded By a Monster

I liked to think I was a rational woman of science. I examined the situation like I would a math problem. Stick to the facts.

Thurl had saved me from an unknown attacker who clearly meant for me not to walk away from our encounter. He was aware his size and appearance were overwhelming and made himself seem as small and as nonthreatening as possible. It was clear he was nervous. He didn’t ask for anything from me, and was courteous when I asked things of him.

Ergo, Thurl was one of the good guys.

Or at least, he was, until proven otherwise.

Something clicked in my brain. Like I’d given myself permission to like him, to be attracted to him, no matter his size and appearance. He made me feel safe. It wasn’t until he showed up that I realized how unsafe I’d felt, which was ridiculous because of course, I felt vulnerable; I’d witnessed a murder and been attacked at my own front door.

I slid into my car with giddy energy and laughed. I couldn’t remember the last crush I had. Probably Dwayne Johnson or Jason Momoa. Apparently, big and buff was my type. It made sense. I wanted someone who could pick me up and do things with my body a smaller man would find impossible. I liked my curves, but readily admitted I was a bigger girl.

I had no sooner pulled into my driveway than an unmarked police cruiser pulled in behind me.

“Ms. Massey?”

Close cropped hair pegged the man as former military, but the slight pooch of his belly told me he’d been a cop longer than he served. His suit was neat but not new. His partner emerged from the passenger side holding one of those useless tiny notebooks.

“Yes.”

“I’m Detective Chambers and this is my partner, Detective Drake. We’d like to ask you a few questions about the murder you witnessed. May we come in?”

“Are you allergic to cats?”

Chambers chuckled, but Drake winced.

“No ma’am, we are not.”

I nodded. “Come on in.” I tried not to let the disappointment show on my face. There’s no way Thurl would show with police at my house.

twelve

I smelled them beforeI heard them and heard them before I saw them. Two men in Jade’s living room. My fists clenched and I forced myself to breathe. She wasn’t in danger. They sat on the opposite side of the room from her. She spoke with animated hands, the soft drone of her voice through the windows steady.

I could see her clearly through the glass. The back of the men’s heads bobbed or shook as they asked her questions.

Sir Purrs-a-Lot sat at her feet, but as she spoke more of her cats gathered around her. They could sense her upset. If the men didn’t leave in the next few minutes, I’d have to call my brothers for another cleanup. One they wouldn’t be happy about, given these men were human officials.

Didn’t matter. They were upsetting Jade, and that was reason enough to split them open. I sat back on my haunches, ready to leap through the door, when they stood up and Jade escorted them to her front door.

“We’ll let you know when we’re ready for you to come to the station and look at mugshots.”

I flew around the house and flattened myself to look around the corner at the front door.

“Okay.”

The two men shook her hand and then walked to their car. She didn’t wait for them to get in before closing her door.

I stared at the men, committing their faces to memory.

“Have you ever seen anyone with so many cats?”

I growled but cut it off when the older man looked in my direction.

He shook his head. “Thought I heard something.” He opened the door and slid into the car. “And yes. I have. My aunt ran a shelter. What, you don’t like cats?”

The conversation drowned out by the sound of the engine, and I returned to the backyard. Indecision shuffled me from foot to foot. Did I knock? Wait in the trees like I had before? I shouldn’t presume she’d want to see me. I was halfway to the tree line when the back door opened.

“Thurl?”

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