The Deputy and His Enforcer (Kincaid Pack #3) - Kiki Clark Page 0,9
once more, he breathed deeply to remove the stench of chlorine from his nose. He wasn’t surprised that Medina and his car were nowhere in sight, but a part of him had wished he’d get one last glimpse of the man.
The drive to his house didn’t take very long, and then he was standing in his empty kitchen, wondering what he was expected to do with himself since he still had over twelve hours before he was “allowed” back at the manor. He placed his revitalized plant back on its shelf next to a handful of others, gently touching leaves and edges of pots.
Turning his head, he eyed his basil plant on the built-in shelf under his large kitchen window. He approached it slowly, like it might attack if he moved too fast, then reached out and gently squeezed a single leaf between his thumb and forefinger. He raised them to his nose and inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering shut.
Yes, Medina had definitely smelled like that, but why? Marcus had never come across that scent in a human or shifter before.
His phone started ringing in his pocket, and he pulled it out, mind distracted with trying to figure out the meaning of the scent. “Yes?”
“Hey! Heard you got kicked out of the manor.” Nico’s loud and brash voice battered against the headache forming behind Marcus’s eyes. Nico was another Enforcer in the pack, and if Marcus had really thought about it, probably a close friend.
“I was… encouraged to take a break from the archives.”
Nico laughed. “Sure, okay. Anyway, want to get dinner in town? I could use a break from the manor too. I’m practically going cross-eyed from all the paperwork I’ve been going through lately, between the archives and the red-tape shit for the development. Momma’s in an hour?”
Marcus hesitated, but one glance in his empty refrigerator made the decision for him. If he didn’t meet Nico at the diner, he’d have to go to the grocery store or go without food. “Alright. I’ll see you there.”
Chapter Three
Robson had handled a lot of weapons in his day, but a hot glue gun might be the death of him.
“I’m just saying, keep an eye out for any of the people I showed you and keep tabs on Reesa. On my way over here this morning, I dropped the folder with all of the information I’d gathered on Rivera’s doorstep, so hopefully that’ll be the end of it.” He shook out his hand, fingers burning and strings of glue hanging from the tips. “Fucking shit. That’s hot.”
He and Hector were supposed to be using the hot glue to attach fake fall leaves to mason jars, and Hector seemed perfectly fine wielding his, but Robson was struggling. Hector finished the one he was working on—the leaves perfectly layered to cover all of the glass and no random strings of glue hanging off, the bastard. He set everything down and looked around to make sure no one was nearby. Pretty much their whole family was crammed in their mom’s house, helping get things situated for the shower that was going to be held in two weeks somehow, but the two of them had been sequestered in the kitchen by themselves. They were sitting at the table with dozens of jars to decorate, and Robson sort of wanted to cry just looking at all of the naked jars still left.
“It was implied,” he muttered, grimacing as he peeled cooled glue from his skin. “He told me they knew I was following them.”
“Okay?”
“And he just happened to be with Reesa at the rec center?” Robson scoffed and threw down the stupid leaf he was failing to adhere to the jar and the damn gun.
“Didn’t they both say she was there for some mentoring program thing? That sounds just like something she’d volunteer for.” Hector’s unimpressed face was making Robson want to throw the glue gun at him. “I know the town’s grown, but it’s not that big. The chances of them being in the same place aren’t that small really.”
Robson grunted in frustration and leaned back in his chair. “What about how when I asked him to stay away from Reesa his response was that her husband was a friend?”
Hector raised his eyebrows. “I’m not following… So now it’s suspicious that he’s friends with Patrick?”
Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward and whispered harshly, “What if Patrick’s in on whatever they’re doing and dragging Reesa with him? I told you