Shifters: A Samantha Reece Mystery Book 1 by Jaime Johnesee (libby ebook reader txt) 📕

went into surgery and once I was cleared I went to the hospital to be with him.

“Hey, Sam. Want some Jell-O?” He grinned at me when I shook my head.

“How are you doing?”

“Been better. Sal came by today. As soon as I’m released we’re getting married.”

“You and Sal? Congratulations. I had no idea you swung that way.” My turn to grin.

“No, you and me.” I raised an eyebrow at him and he continued, “For our undercover operation to bring down AWFA.”

“Well, okay, but you should know that I plan to spend a lot of time in the garage working on my car. You should also know that we will have to find a new house. I’m putting the death magnet up for sale.”

“Aw, that’s too bad. I liked that house.”

“I did, too, before it became the most dangerous place in the entire state to be. Four dead bodies in three days is just too many.”

“I think there are drug czars with fewer enemies than you, Reece.”

“I think you’re probably right.” I grinned and sat down beside him on the bed.

“You still going to go on that date with me when I get out of here?”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

“Scrabble, March 2001. Ichthynoxis. You told me it was a fish disease. You wound up winning because of the triple word score.”

“Hey, bluffing is totally part of that game.”

“It’s Scrabble, Sam, not poker.” He was grinning at me and his amusement had put a twinkle in his eyes.

“You play your way, I’ll play mine, Mr. Omniscientness.”

“Yeah, well that was derived from a real word.”

“Whatever, Baltazar. So, when are you getting sprung?”

“Hopefully in a few days. A couple weeks in the hospital is way too long for my tastes. Leave it to me to get a through and through yet still manage to need extensive surgery.”

“How long are you going to be off your feet?”

“A couple more weeks, sorry, Sam. Though I am looking forward to playing your husband when we get out of here. Look, I’ve even been practicing; Make me a sammich, woman.”

I smacked his good arm. “Make your own damn sammich, while you’re at it, make me one, too.” I grinned.

“I missed you, Sam.” The playfulness was gone and he was being serious.

“I missed you, too. They cleared me, finally.”

“I heard. Please be careful while I’m out of commission. Someone out there is out to get you and I really want to collect on my date.”

“I am being very careful. Don’t worry about me.”

“Can’t help it. You’re my oldest friend. I love you.”

“I know and am thankful for it. I love you, too.” Being serious was starting to make me feel uncomfortable.

“It’s alright, Reece, I’ll stop with the touchy feely stuff.” He smiled and patted my cheek lightly.

“Well, thank goodness. There are seminars we agents are supposed to attend about that sort of thing.”

Alex smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t ever rush you. Now, how about that Tide game?”

Chapter 26

IT HAD BEEN WEEKS WITHOUT ANY LEADS and I was starting to believe that maybe the AWFA guys had given up when we got a tip that they were plotting to take down a church where a shifter group had been meeting.

The group was there to help new shifters transition into their new lives. These groups were extremely important to helping us adjust. I had joined a similar one after I’d been bitten and turned. When I went to the church to check things out I was surprised to find Ben there.

“Hey, Fitzpatrick, what are you doing here?” Don’t be jealous as you watch me go again with the not so smooth.

“Sam, it’s good to see you.” My maker smiled at me and my jaguar fairly purred.

She’d come to grudgingly like Alex and his tiger, but she still held out hope for Ben and his jaguar. Little metaphysically furry hussy.

“So, fancy meeting you here,” I tried again, hoping I wouldn’t have to grill him outright.

“I’m leading the shifters group. It’s sort of been my way of atoning for turning then abandoning you. I figured helping others through the transition was a good way to even things out, karmically-speaking.”

“That’s really cool of you.” I hadn’t seen him since that day at my house with Alex.

“Thanks. You didn’t know I was here?” He looked puzzled.

“No. I sure didn’t.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Got a tip that AWFA was going to try something.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he fumed.

“Unfortunately I am not.”

“Walk with me to my car? We can talk along the way, but I have to grab some pamphlets for the meeting.”

“Sure thing.”

As we walked out into the parking lot he asked me, “Why haven’t I heard from you, Sam?”

“I was a little tied up. AWFA tried to frame me for murder.”

“Holy crap, are you okay?”

“As good as can be expected. Selling my house, though.”

“That–” Before he could say another word an explosion rocked the afternoon and we were pushed to the ground by the blast wave.

Debris from the church rained down on our heads and it took a few moments for the ringing in my ears to stop. I grabbed my cell from my pocket and called it in.

“Was anyone in there?” I asked Ben.

“I don’t know. The handyman was there when I arrived. He let me in.”

“Is he someone you know?”

“No, the regular guy was out sick … this guy was covering.”

“Anyone else?”

“Not that I saw. Thank god you came when you did or I’d have been in there.” His face paled as the realization of how close he came to death hit him.

He crumbled to the sidewalk and began hyperventilating.

“Breathe easy, deep breaths in, slow even breaths out.”

The sound of sirens rang out and an ambulance and Birmingham police car pulled into the lot. I left Ben with the admonishment to keep breathing and pulled my badge to show the officer.

After several hours of questions, both fired at me and coming from me, we were allowed to leave. Sal and Gerry had