Page 92 of Blood and Bonbons

Shepard stood and walked around his desk, stopping in front of me. He leaned in and inhaled slowly.

“Why do you smell like vampire, Everly?”

“What?” Eyes wide, I glanced at Vena for help.

“Huh,” she said with a frown. “Keen sense of smell.” She lifted a finger. “Aversion to vampires.” She lifted a second one. “Strong. Tends to stick to . . . packs.” She added a third and fourth finger as she raised a brow at Shepard. “Working here just got a whole lot more interesting.”

Shepard glanced at me nervously.

“She’ll be a pest about it, but she won’t say anything,” I said.

He leaned against the desk and tilted his head at me. “And you?”

“I’ve kept quiet this long.”

“You knew?” he asked at the same time as Vena.

“I suspected but chose to remain ignorant until I couldn’t anymore,” I said.

“And you’re not afraid?” he asked.

I shook my head. “As you said, everyone here is like family.”

He held my gaze for a long moment. I couldn’t tell if he was okay with me acknowledging him as werewolf and as family.

“Okay,” he said finally. “Now tell me why you smell like—”

“Boss!” Doc shouted from the VIP lounge. “We got one!”

Shepard went from a relaxed lean against his desk to out the door.

“Got one what?” Vena asked, already running to follow.

I raced after them down the stairs and out to the back parking lot. Arriving winded and with a side cramp, I watched Shepard join Anchor and Buzz.

“Where?” Shepard demanded.

“It was a block away. I tracked the scent as far as I could,” Buzz said. “But I only got this thing hiding in the garbage.”

In his hands was a black cat who looked as though it was grinning.

“Does that cat look familiar?” Vena whispered to me.

Itdidlook familiar. What were the chances that the cat from Juicy would show up where we worked?

I shared an uneasy glance with Vena as the gate to the parking lot opened and Sierra pulled in. Her gaze passed over everyone standing in the lot as she parked in her usual spot.

“Well, this is new,” she said, exiting the car. “I didn’t think I was worthy of getting an escort to and from my car.”

Her gaze flicked to the cat Buzz was still holding by the scruff of its neck. She had her phone out and snapped a picture.

“With all the humans dying around here, adding animal cruelty to the list seems a bit much.” She gave Buzz an angry look. “I happen to like cats. Wonder what your patrons would think about this.”

She waggled her phone, showing the image of Buzz holding the cat, with the Blur building visible in the background. I couldn’t believe the size of her lady balls.

Buzz immediately set the cat down, and it bolted, hiding under Sierra's car.

“It’s not abuse, Sierra,” Shepard said. “Buzz pulled the cat out of the garbage. And he’s allergic. He wouldn’t be able to work his shift if he cuddled up to it now, would he?” Shepard crossed his arms. “Make sure you know what you’re talking about before you try to threaten me. And that’s your last strike. Next one, you’re out of here. Am I clear?”

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