Page 235 of As The Shifter World Turns

Fuck. That was Ivor. “Don’t look at us,'' I mumbled into Nate’s shoulder.

He snorted with laughter and said, “We’re two consenting adults. And we’re mated. We’re not doing anything wrong.”

“Tell that to the police when they arrest us for indecent exposure.”

“Not going to happen,” he assured me.

“What if Toby’s with them? Neil will be furious with us.”

Muffled voices outside the car had me turn my head. There were four pairs of legs, none of which looked like Toby. But then four heads were lowered and they peered through the fogged up windows.

“I can’t see. What’s happening?” Neil asked.

There were giggles from Archer and Ivor. I yelled, “We’re fucking. Go away.” Now the four of them were in full blown hysterics. “Go home. You should be in bed.”

“Isn’t that what we’re supposed to say to you?” Ivor noted.

Smartass!

104

NOT ALL LOVE IS EQUAL

Martin

On my way. I hit send and raced home from the grocery store, leaving my cart half full with an employee and giving them twenty bucks as anI’m sorry for being a shitty human and making you put my stuff awayparting gift.

Someone had tried to break into Sunshine Manor and Ryder thwarted them. From what little Archer had texted me, I knew everyone was physically fine and no one was caught. That didn’t mean I wasn't needed there. If Archer contacted me, that meant that Neil was very much not okay.

I raced home as fast as I dared. Getting a speeding ticket would only slow me down.

Five minutes later I was parked and rushing into my old home. Neil had been filming and would’ve been there when the incident happened.

“We should call the police,” was the very first thing I heard as I walked in. Gods, they hadn’t even called the police yet, Daire just thinking now it would be a good idea.

Almost everyone was there, Archer and Nate the only two I didn’t see. It made sense they would be with the kids, including Charlie, and also made sense that they gave Archer the “task” of telling everyone so he didn’t feel helpless in the whole mess. Toby was at school so I didn’t have to worry about him as well.

“Neil.’ The one word had him rushing to my arms, his body trembling. He had jeans on under his robe. Poor guy had been in the middle of filming makinghim extra vulnerable.

“I quit.” Anthony said, his own voice quaking. “I can’t do this job if it means someone is going to come and murder me.”

“We don’t know that,” Micah said, a voice of reason. Although we also didn’t know it wasn’t that or worse because yes, there were some things worse than death.

“It’s not safe here.” Anthony wasn’t wrong. Not if someone was only stopped from entering because Ryder happened to be there. At least that was what I had pieced together as having happened. I still didn’t have the entire story.

I held Neil so tight, pressing kisses to his head. I needed to take care of him, but first we had to be sure everyone was safe.

“What did the cameras pick up on?” I asked. I’d insisted they be installed after the last incident and was I ever grateful.

“They show nothing.” Daire handed me his phone with a video on the screen. “It’s like they’re frozen.”

Which either meant they were complete shit, the guy got lucky, or he was dangerously good at technology.

“I’m not sure what’s wrong with them. I’ve put a call into the company.” Daire took the phone back. “Hopefully they have something on their end.”

“We need to call the police,” Neil said, his voice quaking.

We all agreed but the officer who showed up seemed very put out by us.

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