Page 647 of Love Bites

I turned to see Randy Lowry standing behind us.

“It looks like a body in the river,” Dom said.

“Wow,” Lowry said. “He just floated up.”

“Or she,” I countered. It was hard to tell from this distance.

“Chance,” someone shouted.

I looked and saw, again, Randy Lowry. “What the hell,” I muttered.

Randy put his hand on the shoulder of a man identical to him. “Hey, Chavvah. I see you met my brother Chance.”

“Identical twins?” I noticed now that Chance was thinner than his brother, but they both had boyishly handsome faces.

“Since birth,” he joked. He put his arm around his brother’s shoulders. “Chance is twelve minutes younger than me.” His ring, a silver cube overlaid with a rotated gold cube, flashed brightly under the midday sun. Chance had one as well, only his was gold with a silver inlay. Or was it platinum. It was definitely bright enough to catch the sun’s rays.

“Fancy,” I said and blocked the glare with my hand.

“Twin rings from our father for our coming of age when we turned eighteen.” He smiled, his eyes dancing with humor. He squeezed his brother’s shoulder. “Speaking of Dad. He sent me to get you. The Tri-Council is meeting, and he wants us there for support.”

Chance’s eyes darkened. “I really want to see what’s going on by the lake.”

“We can’t,” Randy said. “We agreed to help the old man.” He smiled at his brother. “Come on. You never know. It could prove to be an interesting meeting.”

The exchange between the two brothers wasn’t strange exactly, but I didn’t understand Chance’s reluctance to go. Maybe he and his father were in a bad place. I could sympathize with parental disappointment.

“I’ll catch up with you both,” Dominic said. He held up his phone and flashed the text he’d received. “It looks like we’re all on the clock now.”

I had stopped paying attention to Dom and the Lowry Brothers and started watching the crime scene chaos. Through the small sea of Jubilee attendees, one stood out among the crowd … by several inches. Billy Bob was talking to Connelly now, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d gotten to Riverfront so quickly. Then I sawher. Bethany Hilliard. The stupid fox shifter he’d entertained the day before was draped on his side as if he were wearing her. My muscles stiffened at the sight of her. Her face was red and blustery with anxiety. Billy Bob had his arms around her shoulders, patting her gently, and it took everything inside me not to run down to them and beat him and her about the head with my bare fists.

What’s wrong with you? Pay attention to the handsome dude next to you and forget Billy Bob.

“Are you okay?” Dominic asked. “Maybe we should get out of here. I’ll walk you back to the courthouse.”

I reined in my anger and…jealousy. Damn it! I had no reason to be jealous. Billy Bob could court whomever he wanted. After all, I was on a kinda-date with Dominic.

I patted his forearm that crossed my upper chest, but I didn’t take my eyes off Billy Bob. “You’re right. We should go.” As if he sensed me watching, Billy Bob’s gaze snapped to mine. His lip curled in a snarl as he glared at me.

I glared right back. Then, maturely, I stuck out my tongue, spun out of Dominic’s arms and headed down the block to Twelfth Street with Dominic on my heels. Before I could turn left to cross to the courthouse, a strong hand gripped me by the arm and spun me around.

“What are you doing here?” Billy Bob demanded. I’d never seen such a look of pure rage on his face before. I could see the hint of his wolf slipping into his eyes.

After a stunned moment, I responded with a confused and slightly angry, “What?”

He growled as he drew closer, both his hands now on my upper arms, his claws digging into my skin. Not enough to hurt, but enough to warn me he was serious.

“Get your hands off her,” Dominic said.

“Leave,” Billy Bob told him. “Leave now.”

To Dominic’s grit, he stood his ground. “I think you’re the one who should leave, Doctor Smith.”

So they knew each other? Of course, they did. Billy Bob had been working with the council since their arrival and Dominic was one of the Arkansas delegates.

Please don’t kill him. Please don’t kill him.I recited the mantra in my head, silently pleading with Billy Bob to let it go. “I’m okay, Dominic. You have business at the courthouse, so you should go.”

“I…Are you sure?”

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