Page 80 of Forbidden Moon
“I will. The only thing missing is the artist herself at the opening. The offer still stands, Katrine.”
She shook her head and sighed.
“Honestly, I’m not sure I could take all the scrutiny and crowds. Let me talk to Mandy, and we’ll let you know.”
“I won’t pressure you, but at the very least, I would like a photograph of you next to the painting. People are curious about the artist.”
They chatted together for a while longer until the girls began yawning and the twins started to fuss. Once the ladies went home, Jack and William put the kids to bed, leaving Walter a few moments alone with his friends before turning in.
“My grandson, Gray, is one of the three men arriving tomorrow with the truck. I’m eager for the two of you to meet him and wonder if you might consider an idea...”
Chapter 32
WEDNESDAY, BEFORE DAWN
The old pickup rattled and squeaked as Russell made his way to town in the dark. He didn’t mind working the early shifts, as they gave him private time to think before having to deal with customers for eight hours. The last couple of incidents revealed important clues regarding the Preserve's inhabitants, though not enough to pull the trigger—yet.
His own encounter, while not as telling as he’d hoped, hinted that thosepeoplewere unusual. The two men who confronted him were stronger and moved faster than anyone he’d ever met. And how did they know the exact path back to his waiting truck? Russell figured the ballsy bastards could have easily handed him his head or stuffed his body somewhere to rot. He still needed to look over the footage from his body cam in the hopes it picked up something interesting, but he’d been busy dealing with the fallout from the other two contacts.
John’s team started out all right before the operation went south, and all three of them ended up in jail. Russell had no idea what went wrong, and the Sheriff’s office refused to give out any information. He’d been fielding calls from their wives, wanting help bailing them out. Until they were charged, his hands were tied.
And then that idiot Glaser. He was supposed to scare the bitch, not end up in the hospital with assault charges hanging over his fool head! Russell blamed himself, as in hindsight he should have chosen someone else for the mission. It wasn’t a total bust, seeing that no normal woman could have kicked the shit out of Neal by herself.
Russell supposed if these people truly were shapeshifters, they must retain at least some advantages like speed and strength while in human form. It not only made them more dangerous, it also proved his point—they weren’t normal. Russell smiled in the dark. Perhaps today’s unscheduled visit would yield the incontrovertible evidence he needed to wipe those mutants off the face of the earth. Hmph. A patriot’s work is never done.
####
JONAH STAGGERED TOWARDSthe packhouse in search of food and a strong cup of coffee. He’d found it impossible to sleep last night, missing his mate like an absent limb. They’d ended up texting for a while before bedtime, and RJ didn’t seem to be any happier with the separation than he was. The knowledge made him less anxious, but offered little comfort when his bed and arms were empty.
The tables were full when he arrived, and of course, people noticed. Waves and shouted greetings helped ease the lonely ache in his heart, reminding him he was not alone. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a little blond dodging people and chairs as she raced towards him at full speed, arms in the air.
“Uncle Jonah!”
He swooped Evie up, drinking in her scent, and offering comfort in return. They both needed it, though everyone was stressed these days. Jonah couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt for neglecting his duties, but he had a mate to win over, and no one would expect him to change his priorities.
“What are you doing here, sweetie? I thought you were having breakfast at home nowadays.”
“Daddy has a meeting, so we came here to eat instead. Come sit with us!”
“OK. Let me get something from the kitchen first. Up you go!”
Evie giggled, repositioning herself on Jonah’s back so he could load up a plate and grab a cup of caffeine. She directed him to their table, where Evan and Lance rearranged the seating to make room for him. The boys were happy to see him, though confused because he was alone. Marco and Mitchell elbowed Max, choosing him as the designated speaker.
“Where is RJ, Uncle Jonah? Isn’t he hungry too?”
