Catching Her Tigers [Tigers of Twisted, Texas 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 9

  As if I don’t already know.

  As though on cue, Teag opened his mouth and bit down on his sister’s hand. Kitty let out a wail and rolled away.

  “Kitty!”

  Craig caught her arm, keeping her in her seat. “Don’t worry. He didn’t bite hard enough to break the skin.”

  “But he shouldn’t bite her at all.”

  “It’s the way kids play around here.” Marrick’s previous stern expression was gone. “We let them work out their differences. See?”

  He was right. Kitty held up her hands, her fingers extended like claws, and chased her brother around the yard. Both of the children were laughing and, as far as Lisa could see, Kitty wasn’t bleeding.

  “If you say so.” After all, they knew their niece and nephew better than she did.

  “Good.” Marrick dug around in the coals with his fork and stabbed one of the foil wrapped potatoes. “Let’s wrangle the kids and chow down.”

  Lisa nodded and poured water into two of the glasses while Craig shouted for Teag and Kitty to “get their butts over to the table.” She paused, watching the children laugh as they dashed toward her.

  Marrick and Craig were smiling, too, as they placed the food on the table. How could such great guys be bad? And yet, she’d gotten a glimpse of their anger and knew there was another side to them. What secret were they hiding?

  Chapter Seven

  Marrick was sore. Worse, he was angry. He and Craig had spent the night shifting back and forth between their human and tiger forms. Searching for John had become an obsession, one that was wearing him out. But he wouldn’t rest until his sister’s killer was found.

  Would he turn John into the council as the others expected him to? Or would he exact his own vengeance? He’d had his mind made up until Lisa had started questioning him last night. She’d hated the idea of his giving John his due. That much was apparent. But her dislike of their plan wasn’t what had churned in his gut all night.

  She doesn’t trust me.

  Or, at least, she didn’t act like she trusted him completely. Not like she had before. But what had changed her mind? His determination to do to John what the bastard had done to his sister?

  She’d started giving him searching looks right after she’d gotten lost in the trees. How did anyone get lost anyway? She hadn’t gone very far from the house.

  No. Something else had to have happened. Something she wasn’t telling him.

  “We’ll find him.” Craig walked beside him.

  From his friend’s slow pace, he could see the all night search had taken its toll on him, too. “I know. But the longer it takes, the less chance we’ll have of finding him.”

  “Maybe he lit out. We could contact the other prides to see if they’ve seen him. He has to show up somewhere.”

  White tigers were loners like most cats, but they also had a social side to them as well. Being a weretiger was rough enough even as part of a pride. As a lone cat, it would be even harder, leaving John exposed to the dangers of both hunters and other shifters.

  “And when he does, someone will grab him,” added Craig.

  “I know John. He hasn’t left. Not without his children.” John Bask was an asshole with a temper that had taken its toll on Donna more than once. Yet he’d never known him to hurt his kids.

  Craig slapped his arm against Marrick’s chest. “Damn. What’s that amazing smell?”

  Marrick dragged in a long breath. The aroma was tantalizing, a welcome smell after a long, weary night. “Bacon and eggs. And coffee.” He hurried up the deck and shoved through the door leading into the kitchen.

  Lisa and the kids sat at the table covered with platters of food. A smile brightened her face as her gaze met his. “There you are. I was just about to go upstairs and wake you up.” Her gaze slid over them. “I guess I didn’t hear you go out.”

  She’d been fast asleep when they’d left late last night. Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten up and found them gone.

  Craig snared her, pulling her against him then planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “You, babe, are terrific. But did you really think we’d sleep this late?” He plopped into the chair next to Teag and took the platter of bacon away from the boy.

  Even when they weren’t out all night tracking down a killer, they would get up earlier than nine in the morning. Marrick came close to her, encouraged by her smile. He stopped a couple of feet away, once more sensing that she wasn’t sure about him.

  What had gone wrong between them? And more to the point, how did he fix it?

  “Hey, baby, thanks for cooking all this.” He spoke softly.

  “No problem.” She handed him a plate. “Here. Dig in.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” He dared to slide his hand along her shoulders and was relieved when she didn’t flinch. He took the chair closest to her then nodded his thanks when she picked up the coffee pot and filled his mug.

  “A man could get used to this.” Craig’s words were muffled by the large bite he’d taken.

  “Mommy said not to talk with your mouth full.” Kitty arched an eyebrow at Craig.

  “Your mom is right.”

  Kitty’s eyes immediately filled with tears. Marrick could’ve kicked himself for not using the right tense. He should’ve said was and not is.

  “Where’s Daddy?” asked Teag.

  Suddenly, the room was too quiet. No one wanted to answer his question. Yet it was his stoic sister who did. “Daddy hurt Mommy and he’s never coming back. He said so.”

  Marrick dropped his fork to his plate. “When did he say he wasn’t coming back?”

  Kitty dropped her gaze. “I don’t know.”

  He hated to force her to tell him, but he had to know. “Kitty, you have to tell me. When did you see your daddy?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Was she trying to keep from telling him or did she really not know? She was, after all, only five. Did children her age have a firm grasp on time?

  “Was it the other day when you and Teag went into the trees by yourselves?” asked Lisa.

  Marrick searched Lisa’s face. Did she know something he didn’t?

  “Uh-huh.”

  He leaned toward his niece. “You saw your daddy? Did he talk to you?” His tiger clawed at the surface, angry at having been so close to its prey without realizing it.

  “Uh-huh.”

  He had to be patient. If he tried to force answers from her, she’d clam up. He asked again, doing his best to keep his tone level. “Did you talk to your daddy, honey?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He clenched his hands under the table so she couldn’t see them. “What did he say, Kitty? It’s important that you tell me.”

  Kitty glanced at her brother, but Teag had his head down, trying hard not to get involved. “He said we could come with him when he was ready.”

  He’d been correct. John wasn’t going anywhere without his kids. “What else did he say?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. He ran away again.”

  Marrick looked to Lisa. Had she scared him away? When he’d found the kids, he hadn’t picked up on any clue that John had been there. Then again, he’d been focused on finding the kids and Lisa, not on picking up John’s scent.

  “Have you seen your daddy since then?”

  “Marrick, maybe you shouldn’t push.” Lisa lifted her eyebrows in warning. “It might be too much.”

  But he couldn’t let it go. Not if it helped him find their father. “Have you, Kitty?”

  “Uh-uh.” Her sorrowful big eyes met his. “I don’t want to go with Daddy. He hurt Mommy.”

  “That’s enough, Marrick.” Lisa was on her feet and pulling the children into her arms. “Enough.” She took them with her and left the kitchen.

  “He was close. Real close,” said Craig.

  “And we missed him. Damn it.” He sat back and struggled to keep from putting his fist through the table. “We missed him.”

  “It’s okay, man. We’ll
get him the next time.”

  “Yeah, you’re damn straight we will.” John would come back and when he did, he’d be ready.

  * * * *

  Two more days had passed since the breakfast when Kitty had admitted to seeing her father. Many times, Lisa had started to tell Craig and Marrick that she, too, had seen him, but she just couldn’t. Not until she was sure.

  Yet how could she not be sure? Marrick, as well as Craig, had been wonderful to her. Other than when they were talking about John, she’d never see either one of the men angry. They were great with the children, too. As far as she was concerned, the way they treated Teag and Kitty showed their true character.

  Then why couldn’t she bring herself to tell them about seeing John? She trusted Marrick. She really did. And yet, a small part of her held back, fearful that her instincts were wrong. She’d agreed to stay on again, unwilling to leave until she knew for certain. But her doubt was also why she’d kept the men at a distance. If she were intimate with them again, she’d lose all chance of being objective.

  “Lee-Lee! Ice cream! Ice cream!” shouted Teag.

  He was off and running along the sidewalk toward the small treat shop before Lisa had a chance to stop him. “Teag, stop!” Kitty giggled and took off after him.

  How can they run so fast?

  Lisa ran, too, even though she had no chance of catching up. By the time she made it to the door of the shop, the kids were already inside, giving the teenage girl behind the counter their orders.

  “You’ve got to be in shape to keep up with those two.” Lena, who’d come up behind her, gave her a wink.

  “Who says I’m keeping up with them?”

  “Where are those luscious men of yours?”

  Not for the first time, Lisa wondered if Lena was a cougar. She certainly liked younger men and yet she’d never seen her with any man, young or old.

  “Back at the ranch. I promised the kids they could have an ice cream if they didn’t quarrel today. And if Teag didn’t bite his sister.”

  “Really? That’s asking a lot of him.” Lena wiggled her fingers at the kids. “Looks like he made it, though. They’re really good kids. Too bad they’ve gone through such a tough time.”

  Without any warning, Lisa made a spur of the moment decision. “Can I ask you a question and get a straight answer?”

  Surprise filled Lena’s face. “Honey, if you don’t know the answer to that question by now, then let me make it clear. I always tell the truth. Do I need to sit down before you ask?”

  “Maybe.”

  Lena’s eyes widened. “Really bad, huh? Go ahead. Ask me.”

  She swallowed, suddenly sure she’d made a mistake. And yet, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Did Marrick and his sister fight over their inheritance?”

  “Honey, you’re throwing me for a loop. What inheritance? Do you mean the money their parents left them?”

  “Right. Did they fight about it?”

  “Not at all. From what I heard, there wasn’t much money to start with. As the son, Marrick inherited the ranch from his father like most men around here do.”

  “So Donna didn’t get anything?” Had Donna wanted more? Wasn’t money often a motive for murder?

  “Donna didn’t want the ranch. By the time their parents passed—their mother going first and then their father a few months later—she was already married to John. Instead, she asked Marrick to pay her a third of what the ranch was worth.”

  “And did he?” A knot formed in her stomach.

  “No, he didn’t.”

  Oh, no. Was it true? Had John told her the truth?

  “He paid her half what it was worth. Said it was only fair. Then when Craig came down to help him run the place, he sold half of it to him.” Lena narrowed her eyes. “Why do you ask?”

  “I was just wondering, is all.” She was so relieved, she wanted to hug the woman. “I’d better get inside before the kids eat everything in sight.”

  Before she could, Lena caught her by the arm. “Where are all these questions coming from?”

  “Like I said. Just curious.” She felt horrible. After asking Lena to tell her the truth, she was lying to her. At least by omission.

  “I have a feeling you’re not being open with me.”

  “I really need to get inside with the kids. Talk to you soon, Lena.”

  Plastering on a wide smile, she hurried into the shop. Teag and Kitty were seated at a small table. The boy had chocolate surrounding his mouth and dribbled down the front of his shirt. Kitty was busy catching the drips off her cone.

  “Hey, you two, no more running off. Am I understood?”

  They both nodded, too engrossed in their treats to bother speaking.

  “Would you like a cone, ma’am?”

  Ma’am. Argh. I feel so old.

  She shook her head at the young girl. “No thanks. What do I owe you for theirs?”

  “Nothing. It’s on the house.” The girl’s gaze slid to the kids as her smile faded. “You know. Because.”

  Because they lost their mother. Because their father was a murderer.

  Lisa sat down next to Teag who had devoured his ice cream. She took a napkin and wiped his face clean. “Wow, you sure finished yours fast.”

  Kitty held her cone out to her, offering her a lick. “Want some?”

  “Okay. Thanks.” She supported Kitty’s hand and took a lick. The ice cream tasted more like straight cream to her, richer than regular ice cream, but it was still good. “Yum.”

  Kitty giggled and caught another drip. “Yum.”

  An older gentleman sat at the next table reading the paper. He lowered it and scowled. “Can’t you keep those kids quiet? I don’t want to hear them yammering away.”

  Teag bared his teeth then made a chomping action. “I’ll bite you.”

  “The hell you will, boy. Teach those kids some manners.” The old man’s glower deepened. “And shut them the hell up.”

  “They’ve barely said anything.” She didn’t want to be rude, but sometimes it was impossible not to speak up. “If you wanted peace and quiet, maybe you should’ve gone somewhere besides a treat shop. You know. Where there might not be any kids?”

  “Look, girl, don’t go giving me any sass.” He plopped the paper on the table. “You need to respect your elders.”

  “I do respect those elders who deserve respect.” Why was she letting him get to her? Maybe the stress of the past few days, worrying if what John had said was true, had gotten to her. She drew in a long, slow breath. “I’m sorry, sir. We’ll do our best to keep the noise down.”

  Kitty giggled. “Mommy says his hiss is worse than his scratch.”

  Teag laughed and joined in. “Uh-huh. Daddy said he’s a big old pussy cat who’s too old to have claws.”

  Lisa laughed, more at the way Teag had said it than at what he’d said. Kids said crazy things, even things that didn’t always make sense.

  At the sound of a low grumble, she turned toward the man, ready to apologize for her laughter and their remarks. Her mouth was open ready to speak before she stopped and stared at him.

  Amber filled the old man’s eyes. His mouth drew back into a snarl exposing non-human teeth. Fangs dripped saliva, the droplets falling onto his shirt. She followed one drip as it landed on his hand. Claws had replaced fingernails.

  Lisa pushed to her feet, shoving the chair out from under her while clutching an arm of each child. “Run,” she whispered.

  Kitty dropped her cone and let out a wail. “Noooo! My ice cream!”

  Teag struggled to get loose. “Hey!”

  Adrenaline surged through Lisa as she pulled the children along with her. At the door, she glanced back over her shoulder, fearful the man was following them. His amber gaze struck her, numbing her for a moment. Then, spreading his jaws wide, he let out a vicious snarl.

  “Oh, shit.” She shoved the children outside, still clinging to them.

  Was he coming after them? She hadn’t no
ticed where the teen had gone. Should she yell for help? And yet, the street had suddenly emptied.

  She hurried away from the shop. Where could they go? Where would they find at least one person to help them?

  Roar.

  There was always someone at the bar.

  Looking back again, she saw the man push open the door and stumble after her. Thankfully, he seemed too old to move very fast. Darkness covered his face along his jawlines as though he’d suddenly grown a beard. Squinting, she realized it wasn’t hair.

  It’s fur. Oh, hell, he’s growing fur.

  Racing across the street, she ignored the children’s complaints and made it to the bar’s door. Whether or not children were allowed inside didn’t matter. She had to get help before the monster-man caught them.

  Bursting inside Roar, she let her eyes adjust to the dim light. Although it was late afternoon, only a few people were seated at the tables.

  “Lisa, what’s wrong? You act like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  She pivoted around to see a man she’d met a few days ago slide off a bar stool and stride toward her. “Marvin, please. You’ve got to help us.”

  “What’s wrong?” Marvin Robbins was around Marrick’s and Craig’s age and worked as a hired hand for all the ranchers.

  “This man…” How could she explain it without sounding insane? “This man in the treat shop got angry. Then he started changing.” She still clung to Teag and Kitty. “He’s chasing us.”

  The door banged opened. Daylight slashed into the bar. The shadow of the old man blocked out some of the light. A growl rolled out of the dark shadow as he took a step forward.

  She gasped. What had been a human face was now a strange contortion of animal and man. Dark gray fur spread over most of his face, highlighting the amber eyes. He was breathing hard as his body grew fuzzy. She rubbed her eyes, but it didn’t help. It wasn’t her eyesight causing the blurred vision. The man was changing. But changing into what?

  “Marvin?” Lisa hurried to the wall, putting her body between the terrible man and the kids. “Oh, God.”

  “Damn it, Herb. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Purdy stormed out from behind the bar. “Marrick and Craig haven’t told her yet.”