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Saturdays were the longest days of the week. The Native American Cultural Center, where Tallulah worked, was closed, and that meant an entire day to bide her time with nothing more pressing than housework—which she loathed.
Tallulah loaded the last of the laundry in the washer and looked out the open window. The sky was washed clear of gray clouds and the earth smelled as if cleansed by last night’s storm. Too gorgeous a day to be stay stuck inside the cabin. A nice long stroll, then back home for a shower before heading to Tombi’s for dinner.
She ran outside, eager as a child let out for recess, then stopped abruptly, patting the loose strands of hair plastered on her face. They’d strayed from her messy topknot and she wore an old T-shirt and shorts. Fine for housework but... Tallulah hurried back inside, changed into fresh clothes and ran a brush through her hair.
I am not doing this in the hopes of running in to Payton. She scowled at the mirror before swiping a tube of red lipstick across her lips. This was merely an attempt to avoid looking like a total slob. Since when has that concerned me?
“Oh, shut up,” she mumbled at her reflection. A spritz of rose perfume and she was off again. She entered the woods, walking briskly, intent on exercise. She flung her arms in wide circles, working out the kinks from her pinched shoulders, which were stiff from scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen floors. No need to tote the heavy backpack during the day.
Unless she came upon that wolf again.
Tallulah shook her head. No borrowing trouble this morning. It was her day off, and that meant no shadow-hunting duties as well. Finishing the laundry could wait until evening. A nice day walking in the woods, dinner later with Tombi and Annie, and then she’d curl up with a good book and read until bedtime. She had her Saturday routine down pat.
So why did that deflate her spirits?
She pushed the uncomfortable feelings aside. Ever since she’d met Payton, a vague dissatisfaction with her quiet, predictable life troubled Tallulah. He meant nothing to her. Nothing. He was a damn lumberjack of all things. Part of a transient crew that could be gone anytime.
Her sneakers squished in the woods’ muddy patches and her legs were speckled with mud. So much for trying to look presentable. At a fork in the path, she paused. No point in going to Bo’s resting place. The storm had no doubt spoiled her handiwork and she wasn’t in the mood to tidy up the site yet again.
She continued on until she reached the clearing by the farmhouse. By day it looked quiet and peaceful. No mysterious creatures hovering about. And no sign of Payton.
Not that she cared.
A smell of rotten carcass assaulted her nose. Probably a dead deer. Yet a tingle of apprehension chased down her spine and she shivered. A faint, familiar feeling also stirred her memory. Had the wolf killed the animal? If so, at least the wolf wouldn’t be looking at her with those cagey, threatening eyes. Its belly should be full.
A compulsion to find the source of the foul odor gripped her mind. Tallulah tracked the scent. No special shadow-hunter ability needed for this. It grew stronger and tangier, enough to make her eyes water. She lifted her T-shirt over her nose and breathed out of her mouth as much as possible. Tallulah stopped abruptly at the edge of the field, where flies swarmed low to the ground. This was it.
She crept closer, not wanting to get too near. Only close enough to glimpse what had died.
Yellow corn kernels dotted the ground where they’d spilled from a burlap sack. A patch of blue denim, a black T-shirt and a gray beard—the body was human. Bile rose in her throat, caustic and burning. She was used to wisps, trapped souls, Ishkitini and other shadow spirits. Not this carnage of blood, flesh and bone. Did she know the victim? She edged forward for a closer view. The neck was torn open and blood stained the front of the dark T-shirt. Dried globules of red liquid speckled his gray beard. His face was as white as a cotton sheet, as if all the blood had drained out. Even though his features were contorted in pain, she recognized him.
It was Jeb Johnson, owner of the farm. Evidently, he’d been out illegally baiting deer and something or someone had caught up to him. Killed him. Brutally, at that. But why? Jeb mostly kept to himself—he was a quiet man who worked his land and hunted and fished. A widower, his sons were grown and they seemingly got along well with one another.
Tawny wolf eyes glittered in her mind’s eye. But even that made no sense. A wolf wouldn’t attack a human unless it was starving and there was no other prey available. These woods were filled with squirrels and rabbits and mice, enough to fill its belly.
She’d seen enough. Tallulah ran to the farmhouse, intent on reporting the news. Jeb was dead, but the sooner the cops arrived and observed the body, the more clues they might gather to solve the murder. She rapped sharply at the door.
A handsome, genial male opened the door, raised his brows in surprise and then grinned.
“Hello, little lady. Can I help you?”
“There’s a—a...” Her breath grew more shallow and she bent at the waist, catching her breath. “There’s been a murder. Call the sheriff.”
The grin slipped from his face. “Who? Murder, you say?”
“Call 911.”
“Of course.”
He started to shut the door in her face. Damn, if only she’d brought her cell phone. She never could remember to carry the stupid thing everywhere she went.
Tallulah threw her weight on the door with her right shoulder and slipped inside. The man was stronger than she was, but her quick maneuver had caught him unaware and she pushed past him.
At least a dozen men sat around the den, in various stages of undress. A few, apparently, had just arisen. At least half wore only shorts and sported shadows of a beard. The smells of bacon and coffee pervaded from the adjoined kitchen to the left. Payton was nowhere to be found.
The man who’d answered the door walked in front of her, blocking her view. “Bad news, guys. There’s been a murder.”
Tallulah stepped to his side and eyed the men.
“Shit—”
“Damn it—”
“What the—?”
One of the men rose, his forgotten breakfast plate crashing to the floor. “Not again.”
Tallulah zeroed in on his clean-shaven features. Not again? “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. “Has this happened before?”
Warning glances passed around the group and an unnatural silence descended.
A tall man with close-cropped black hair strode her way. She recognized him as the timber crew’s supervisor.
“Who’s been murdered? Where’s the body?” he demanded. His blue eyes were arctic—cold and piercing.
“In the field behind your house. Call the cops.”
No one moved.
Tallulah stiffened. Their reactions were off. Way off. Any other crowd this size, over half of them would have already whipped out their ever-present cell phones and called the police. Too late, she recalled the strange creature who had entered this very house. The wolf no one claimed to notice. And Jeb’s bloody neck could have been the result of a bite. Chills ghosted up her spine.
“We’ll take care of everything,” the leader said smoothly. His eyes narrowed. “You look familiar...oh yeah, you’re one of those protestors. Ms. Silver, isn’t it?” He turned to the man who’d answered the door. “Eli, go upstairs and get Payton.”
Eli immediately bounded up the wooden stairs. The leader gripped her forearm. “Show me where you found the body.”
“After you call the cops,” she insisted. Bossy men like him couldn’t intimidate her.
He spoke to one of the guys, his eyes never leaving her face. “Adam, call 911. Now, Ms. Silver, I want to see the body.”
“You can view it along with the sheriff,” she countered, thrusting out her chin.
Shock widened his pupils. He was obviously used to being instantly obeyed. At least Adam was on the phone, reporting the murder.
He released her arm and faced the men. “Everyone go out, divide up and check the field and its perimeter.”
The men scrambled to follow his orders. Two sets of footsteps clamored down the stairs. Eli and Payton emerged.
Payton’s blond hair glistened, and tiny rivulets of water fell down his face. He wore jeans, but no shirt. The dark hair on his muscular chest was matted. He was sleek and lean and sexy as hell after his morning shower.
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Of course it’s you, stirring up trouble first thing in the morning. Should have guessed.”
“This is no laughing matter,” the leader snapped. “Another body’s been found.”
Another. Tallulah noticed his choice of words.
Payton’s face paled underneath his tan. All traces of humor vanished. “No,” he whispered, his voice strangled.
“So there’s been other bodies? Other murders?” she asked.
The leader’s jaw clenched. “You’re the only one saying murder. How do you know this person didn’t die from natural causes?”
She shuddered, recalling the mauled neck, the loss of blood.
Payton came to her at once. “Come, sit,” he ordered. “You look like hell. Must have been a shock to find the body.”
He tossed an arm over her shoulders and she leaned into his solid mass, smelling soap and shampoo. Warmth washed over her body and she allowed him to seat her on the beat-up leather sofa in the den. She stared at her hands that violently shook in her lap.
Payton closed his strong hands over her trembling ones. “Delayed reaction,” he said. “I’m sure the shock is starting to catch up to you.”
Somehow he understood, even if the dead body’s effect on her nerves surprised even Tallulah. Death and destruction were no strangers to a shadow hunter. But she was used to dealing with animals and spirits—not coming upon a mauled, human carcass.
Poor Jeb. First, the fire last year that had destroyed most of his cotton crop and damn near bankrupted him. And now...this.
“Eli and I are joining the others,” the leader said. “Wait for the cops and keep an eye on our guest.”
“I don’t need anyone to watch over me,” she muttered.
Payton nodded. “I will, Matt.”
The door banged shut as Eli and Matt left.
“You don’t have to babysit me. I’m fine.”
A ripple of apprehension roiled in her stomach. Maybe they weren’t concerned for her safety at all. Maybe there was something more sinister at play. They seemed in an awful hurry to find the body before the cops.
“Right. You’re fine. That’s why you’re shaking like a deer staring at the long end of a shotgun.”
He sat beside her and rubbed her shoulder. She drew a steadying breath. Be smart. Could be Payton was ordered to watch her for damage control. Make sure she didn’t catch them hiding the body or altering the scene.
“You had a traumatic experience this morning,” he said, continuing to massage her shoulders and neck. “Anyone would be shaken. Don’t act like you aren’t.”
Tallulah inched away from his touch. She was many things, but a fool she was not. For all she knew, Payton was as untrustworthy as the rest of the timber crew. Just because his kisses curled her toes the night before was no reason to let down her guard.
“Don’t patronize me,” she snapped. “I’m not the swooning Southern-belle type. I can handle emergencies with logic and calm.”
Payton’s mouth twisted and he rose from the sofa and paced. Probably stifling the urge to throttle her.
“Go on and join the others. You know you’re dying to check it out. I can take care of myself.”
Tallulah glanced around the den that seethed with masculinity—a pool table, large-screen TV, a wet bar, leather furniture and not a knickknack or potted plant in sight. If Payton went outside, she could do a little exploring. There was something very strange about this group of guys, although she couldn’t precisely say what. Their house had a different feel from other homes. A secretive vibe. But perhaps she judged unfairly, her view tainted by seeing the wolf enter. The one no one claimed to have seen—including Payton. Maybe she could convince him to leave so she could snoop around the place and call Sheriff Angier. Tell Payton she needed some alone time to recover from the ordeal of finding the body.
He ceased pacing and faced her abruptly. “Do you always have to act so damn defensive about everything?”
Her spine stiffened. “That’s not true,” she began, her voice hot and loud. She clamped her jaw shut. She’d just proved the opposite.
“It is true. You take offence at anything I say.”
Tallulah silently counted to ten. She’d get nowhere antagonizing him. And perhaps he did have a point. Payton certainly wouldn’t be the first to say that her personality had become a tad bitter over the past couple of years.
“I apologize. You’re right. Seeing Jeb’s mauled body did bother me and I took it out on you.”
Payton’s anger instantly abated. “It’s okay.”
“I think I interrupted your morning shower. Why don’t you go ahead and finish?”
He hesitated. “Are you sure? Can I get you anything first?”
“I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee,” she said sweetly. “Might calm my nerves.”
“Sure. Sugar or cream?”
“Both.”
“Done. Then I’m going back upstairs to finish dressing so I’ll be decent when the cops bombard the place.”
“Had experience with this sort of thing before?” she asked, unable to help herself. “With cops, that is.”
His eyes shuttered. “Hmm.”
Without explaining, he disappeared in the kitchen. She kept her ears tuned as he rumbled about for a cup, poured and stirred. She picked up a cell phone that was on the coffee table.
Damn. This one required a password to make a call. She reached and tried another abandoned phone on the end table. Oh, yes, this one was password-free. It would do nicely.
At the sound of footsteps, she stuffed the phone under the sofa cushion.
“One coffee coming up,” Payton announced.
He held out a steaming, earthenware mug and she clasped both hands around the smooth pottery. Despite the appalling circumstances, the warmth in her palms spread up her arms and into her heart. There were few caring gestures in her life. Not since Bo...well, no point thinking of him now. He’d left her behind and she was alone again. Most of the time, she’d learn to accept she was on her own. Until an act of kindness, however small, undid her.
Oh, hell, not tears. Quickly, Tallulah hung her head, allowing her long hair to drape her profile on either side. She sipped the coffee and discreetely swiped the wetness from her cheeks.
“Hey, are you crying?” Payton sat beside her on the sofa.
“Of course not.” She carefully set the mug on an end table and faked a little cough. “Swallowed the wrong way. Go ahead and get dressed.”
He looked doubtful, but she shooed him along with a wave of her hand. “A few minutes alone will do me good.”
“If you say so.”
