Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
“No, I’ll take care of it. I just need you to get your fine ass down here as soon as possible.”
I hung up and did exactly what he said. I made sure the coast was clear. No sign of Luis or his car. Then I got my fine ass into my car, locked the doors, and pulled out of the driveway. That feeling of being watched swept over me again, making my blood run cold. Once I was out of the driveway, I hit the gas a little harder than usual, the tires squealing as I went.
I pulled up to Tate’s office not long after. He was already standing in the lot, waiting for me. I got out of the car and was in his arms within seconds. He cupped my face and looked into my
eyes, then kissed me hard. For a few seconds, I forgot about the day. He pulled away and swept me into the office. Terry stood at the door, staring daggers out through the window, scanning the surrounding area. It looked like Tate had already informed his team about what was going down. I liked knowing we weren’t alone in this.
Tate took my hand and led me to the conference room where Blayne, Miles, and Steffen were waiting for us.
“Give me a second, guys. Don’t open it until I’m back.” Tate guided me down the hall and into his office.
I gasped slightly as we entered the room. It was different. Instead of the stark spartan furnishing, there was decoration. There was a picture of me with Jordyn and Mariah on his filing cabinet. We were sitting on the couch laughing—I remembered the night well. On his desk stood a framed picture of one of my ultrasounds. The gray blob that was our baby sitting right where he could see it anytime he wanted. I looked at Tate, who was staring back at me. I knew what it meant for him to have these pictures in here. The man who’d had no one but his friends until now. My eyes welled with tears as I looked back at him.
Tate pressed his hand to my belly, and we both felt the baby kick. I was six months along, and though I’d felt him shifting in there, it was the first real kick I’d noticed. I gasped and laughed.
“Did you feel that?” I asked.
Tate’s eyes were wide and beginning to tear up, too. “Holy shit. I did.” He kissed my forehead. “I’ll be right back. Okay?”
I nodded and watched him go. Placing my hands on my belly, I felt the baby kick again. It was the best thing that had happened all day. It was a reminder that even on bad days, good things could happen. I took a seat at Tate’s desk to wait for him to get back.
TWENTY-FIVE
TATE
Steff was looking at me expectantly as I came through the door. Blayne and Miles were hunched over a computer and didn’t notice me until I closed the door. The envelope in my hand was like a lead weight pulling at my arm, even though it only weighed a few ounces.
Steff nodded to the package. “Whatcha got there?”
Holding it up so they could see it, I said, “Ortiz decided to leave Harley a little gift. On her fucking front porch.”
“Shit,” Blayne hissed, “Did you see him on the cameras?”
I shook my head in disgust. “I checked them while Harley was on her way over. No sign of him. All the mail was delivered by the Post Office. Totally normal. Whatever this is,” I shook the envelope, “he sent in the regular mail.”
“Okay,” Miles said. “What are we thinking? Like, how crazy is this guy?” He pointed at the padded envelope. “Vial of his own blood crazy or dead mother’s engagement ring crazy?”
“Only one way to find out.” I tore the top off the envelope and glanced inside.
Inside the package was another envelope. Beside it It was a familiar light greenish-blue draw-string jewelry bag. I’d never bought anything there, but I knew the place well. I’d walked past
the storefront near Rockefeller when I was working in New York. Lastly there were two embroidered baby booties. Sky blue for a boy.
As I lifted the booties, my dragon’s irritation sparked. Then I read the embroidery. One bootie read:
Baby Boy. The other read:
Luis Jr. Breath hissed from my nose, and I crushed the booties in my fist, grinding the cotton together until my knuckles cracked. Filled with rage, I pulled the smaller envelope out. My hands shook as I opened it and read:
Hey, babe. I’ll be in touch soon so we can talk about my son. -Luis
My vision went red; my dragon was absolutely raging inside. It knew that the baby was ours as much as I did. We could feel the magic growing inside Harley. The connection to her was undeniable, and there was only one explanation. My son growing in her. Ours. The fact that he was trying to claim him made me more furious than I could have ever thought possible.
I was on the verge of slamming my closed fists onto the conference room table when Miles put a hand on my shoulder. Had I been anywhere else, I would have swung at him, thinking he was Luis. Thankfully, I remembered I was in a safe place with friends before my fists flew out at him.
“Bro? Are you good?” Miles asked.
Looking up, Steff and Blayne were staring at me, a combination of fear and concern on their faces. I took a breath to calm myself before throwing the note and booties into a waste bin under the table.
“I’m fine. That guy’s just an asshole. What was in the bag?” I asked, looking at Steff.
Steff tipped the little bag out into his palm. Two earrings tumbled out. They were both teardrops, with a blue gem in the middle surrounded by diamonds. They were gorgeous and looked expensive.
Steff pulled out his phone. “Okay, I’ve got to see how much these bad boys are worth. Hang on a second.”
While Steff tapped and swiped at his phone, I stewed on how angry Luis had made me. I was synced with the baby inside her. The magic the child gave off was so similar to mine that I could almost taste it. Surely he felt the opposite. Could he feel any connection to the baby inside Harley’s belly? Did he even try? Or was he too concerned with taking what he thought was his?
“Holy fuck.” Steff gasped. He looked at us and laughed humorlessly. “These freaking things are fifteen-thousand goddamned dollars. Who the hell is this guy?”