Embracing the Wolf (Ritter Werewolves #2)(9)
Author: Catherine Bybee

Why was he still there? She didn’t feel right asking him to leave after he’d brought Joey home from school. Making Richard lunch was the least she could do after he’d bought all the groceries.

Kate wondered what had motivated Richard Ritter to spend his entire morning babysitting her. It wasn’t as if he had an obligation to her. So, what if his company did secure the restaurant? It wasn’t as if they could keep criminals from committing their crimes. He wasn’t responsible. So why did he act as if he were?

Joey settled in the living room, and she clicked on the TV hoping to distract her from the man in her home. Unfortunately, Richard proved impossible to ignore. His obsessive pacing kept Kate’s attention the entire time he talked on the phone.

“Mom.”

Kate waved off her son, trying to hear what Richard was saying in the heated debate with whomever was on the other end.

“Mom…” Joey tapped her knee.

“What?” Kate asked, not taking her eyes off the

hallway where Richard stood.

“MOM!”

“What?” She snapped her head at her son.

“Isn’t that where you work?” Joey pointed to the old tube-style set.

Kate’s jaw dropped, the hair on the back of her neck started to stand long before she turned to look at the TV. Sure enough, there it was… The Eatery, in all its glory, with a bleached blonde reporter standing outside telling all she thought she knew.

“…according to an eyewitness, the restaurant was held up last night at gun point. One of the waitresses, suffered a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. The victim was transferred to a local area hospital…”

“Oh my God!” Kate struggled for breath.

Joey sent her a suspicious glance before staring back at the TV.

Without warning, Richard came up behind them and turned off the set. “Time to go.” Having your life plastered all over the news had a way of knocking you back. Kate was no different.

“Mom, isn’t that where you work?” Joey moved closer to her.

“Hey, Joey? Do you like to swim?” Richard grabbed his jacket.

“Do I?” Joey jumped to his feet. His lips pulled into a tight grin.

“Tell ya what, I know a great place we can go and swim in a huge heated pool. What do ya say?”

“I’ll get my swim shorts.”

Joey headed off to his room.

“Kate?” Richard’s soft voice drifted into the fog of her brain.

“I can’t believe it,” she gasped. “I’m on the news.” Dumbfounded, she turned her head to the man standing over her.

“Kate, we need to get out of here. That was Max on the phone and the reporters are on their way.”

“So…”

“So, we need to go.” Richard reached down and brought her to her feet.

“Why?”

“Listen, the reporters might think they are doing their job. But what they’re really doing is leading the men who robbed you last night to your front door.” Richard lowered his voice. “They are leading the men who would rather have you dead than able to testify against them right to you.” Dread washed over her in a steady stream of prickly ice. It wasn’t over. Her nightmare from last night wasn’t over. Her body trembled. The hot, little apartment suddenly felt ice cold.

“Pack a bag, Katie.”

His use of an old nickname brought her back to reality. “What?”

“Pack a bag,” his voice grew stern, almost cold and detached.

On autopilot, Kate stood and went to her room.

Chapter Four

Richard maneuvered the car into the long driveway of Max’s home after going through the security gates. Stalked by a plethora of camera holding media personalities, Richard inched the car to the front of the house deep in thought. Max’s home would be the safest place for Kate and Joey until they found the men behind the robbery.

Until they found the werewolf that stalked Kate.

Joey jumped out of the car the minute it came to a stop. “Wow, is this a hotel?”

Richard pulled the suitcase from the trunk with a grin. “No, it’s just a house,” A house which stood a mere two stories with about seven thousand square feet of space. Every bedroom sported its own bath.

Parties for their extended family of over fifty people gathered regularly, especially when their collective werewolf needs arose.

“Wow.”

The kid had a one-word vocabulary. Kate was a little less impressed. “Why did you bring us here?”

“Max’s home is safer than Fort Knox. He uses all the new technology from our business here first.” What he really wanted to say was that Max built a fortress to keep unwelcome werewolves away. If any approached the perimeter of the property, alarms would blaze. But he didn’t think that would go over too well with Kate.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and led her to the door. Joey bounded up the stairs.

The front door opened before he had a chance to knock.

“There you are,” Janet said after opening the

door. She’d changed from her hospital scrubs to a bright yellow and white maternity sun dress and sandals. “I was starting to worry.”

“Traffic,” Richard explained, ushering them inside.

“This must be Joey.” Janet ruffled Joey’s hair.

He smiled and put his hand out, placing his palm on Janet’s protruding stomach. “Are you going to have a baby?”

“Joey!” Kate growled at him while swishing his hand away.

“It’s okay.” Janet laughed. She caught his hand and put it back. “If I told you I swallowed a watermelon, would you believe me?”

“Duh, I’m not that dumb.” Joey rolled his eyes in a gesture Richard had seen several times since he had met the child.

“Well, Joey, sometimes I feel like I swallowed a watermelon.”

“I’ll bet!”

His words made everyone laugh, even Kate who hadn’t said two words on the entire drive over.

Richard set the bag down and helped her remove her sweater. Kate glanced around the huge living room; she did her best not to ogle. It must have been difficult not to, he thought. Max’s home rivaled any Beverly Hills mansion. It sat atop the Hollywood Hills on just over five acres. Its seclusion was what made it the perfect place to hide. The perfect safe house.

“James?” Janet called out to their butler.

James came into the room, greeted him, and nodded to Kate and Joey.

“Come meet our house guests. This is Kate Davis and her son, Joey.”