Chapter Six
Emotions twisted Rafael's gut and he couldn't tell if it was guilt or longing. His panther wasn't much help, demanding that he chase after Molly and finish what he started.
He helped Connor unload their supplies from the car, which wasn't that much, really. His friend always kept a go-bag in the trunk with a few pairs of gym clothes. Rafael did, too. One unexpected shift was all it took to ruin your outfit, and then you're either a naked human or a wild animal in the city. Not a good situation to be in, either way. They'd need more if they were going to be in the safe house for a while and a selfish part of him hoped they would. It would be just him and Molly.
And her brother the FBI Agent. And Connor, his best friend. Who was now his boss.
Unless he was about to get fired before he'd officially taken the job.
Today was just full of new experiences.
"You want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Connor managed to keep his tone light, but Rafael knew him well enough to recognize the dangerous edge in his voice. "This, apparently, will be a surprise to you, but seducing traumatized clients is not part of the job description."
Rafael winced. "Come on, man. It sounds terrible when you say it like that."
"Is there a way this sounds good? You were five seconds from giving the woman a hickey."
It seemed wrong to tell Connor before telling Molly that she was his mate. Given how difficult that conversation was already going to be—since he'd have to explain shifters—maybe sharing would help him figure something out. Plus, Connor looked like he was about five seconds from kicking his ass to the curb.
"She's my mate." A huge smile lit up his face as he said it and his panther purred for the sheer joy of it. It was the first time he'd said it out loud. Somehow, that made it more official. His beautiful, graceful, curvy, sexy mate. His heart ached with longing for her.
Connor gaped at him. "No fucking way."
Rafael nodded, running a hand absently over his sternum. He felt like an itchy teenager again, pulled in too many directions and each one of them horny. His panther wanted him to go to her and put his tongue to good use until she forgot each and every one of her problems. Actually, that's what he wanted, too. If it weren't for all the things wrong with that plan he'd be in good shape.
Connor grinned at him, pulling Rafael into a rib cracking hug. "Congratulations, man. That's incredible. I mean, it sure as hell complicates things, but damn. Your mate."
He gave Rafael a pat on the back that would have sent him sprawling if he were human. As it was, he barely managed to keep his balance.
"Kind of a big deal, right?"
The human half of him wanted to freak out, find a beer or ten and lose his shit in peace. Love felt a lot like a constant panic attack and Rafael was used to being calmly in control of himself. Molly needed him, though. It didn't matter how unworthy he worried he might be. Not when his mate was in danger. Training and animal instinct could take over and he'd sort out the rest after the dust settled.
"Don't take this the wrong way," Connor said. "But you know this means I can't hire you."
Rafael blinked at him. "What? You think for a second I'd let anyone else but me keep Molly safe? That I wouldn't die to—"
"Whoa, hang on. I mean, I can't hire you for this job." Connor raised his hands, palms out toward Rafael. "I'm not saying you need to leave. But you can't—officially—be her bodyguard. For one thing, I can't have one of my team sleeping with their client."
"We haven't—"
"For another," Connor went on like he hadn't said anything. "There's no way you can be objective. You haven't been able to take your eyes off her since we walked into the studio. How do you plan on spotting a dangerous situation with your eyes on her ass and your nose full of her scent?"
"Panthers don't need to rely on our sense of smell," Rafael grumbled, not sure if he was more annoyed that Connor was right or that he'd been talking about Molly's ass.
"Don't worry about it. We'll get it figured out." Connor hefted the duffel on his shoulder then paused. "Did you actually want the job, or did you only accept because the client was your mate?"
Rafael ran a hand through his hair, surprised that the answer came so quickly to mind. "Molly kind of made the decision for me in this case. But I think it might be time to stop running."
Connor's eyebrows shot up and a slow smile spread across his face. "Glad to hear it, man."
They lugged the meager supplies inside, dumping everything on a bare kitchen table. Rafael's eyes darted around, trying to catch any sign of Molly. She wasn't in sight. But judging by the way her brother glared at his laptop on the kitchen island and the very closed door just off the main room, it didn't look up as if they got things settled between them.
"So," Connor said to Marc, crossing his arms over his barrel chest. "What's your animal?"
Rafael raised an eyebrow and watched as Marc's eyes went wide. The other man froze, expression impassive as he stared at Connor. No way would Connor bring up shifters unless he was damn sure. Connor had an uncanny knack for picking up on other shifters they met. He claimed it was a bear thing.
Of course, as wrapped up as he'd been with finding his mate, Marc could've shifted into a dragon and he might not have noticed. Rafael's panther stirred uneasily, already unhappy about being in a new house and liking it even less if there was another animal to contend with.
Marc leaned away from them, arms hanging lose at his side. "Wolf."
Interesting that he'd fallen so easily into a fighting stance. Did he honestly think Connor would start a fight? With his client one room away? Was he being defensive because of Molly or had it been a while since he'd had someone to trust? With as long as he'd been undercover and growing up part of the mafia, it wouldn't surprise Rafael if he'd never had anyone to trust. Except for Molly.
A wolf was always part of a pack, though. Had he found one with the FBI or did he still have pack ties with his family?
"Molly isn't?" Rafael asked.
Marc shook his head, still looking wary.
Rafael's pulse raced as he asked his next question. "Does she know about shifters?"
Shifting was passed down genetically. If her own brother could shift, there must be others in their family. And if she already knew about shifters then she might know about mates and he wouldn't have to explain a damn thing. He could rush to her side, blurt out the truth and bury himself between her thighs until they were both satisfied.
"No. Dad made me swear not to tell her. And he's the alpha so what he says goes." He glanced between them and Rafael buried his disappointment. "You're both shifters?"
"All members of my team are," Connor said. Rafael's panther preened to be included in that description. "It's good to hear that at least one shifter is with the Bureau. I hadn't heard about any shifters making it that far within the agency."
"We wouldn't be very good at our jobs if you had." Marc turned his glare on Rafael. "You've been sniffing around Molly since you showed up."
His panther bristled at the word "sniffing," but he stepped forward, meeting Marc's glare. "She's my mate."
Marc groaned, pressing his fists onto the countertop. "Are you kidding me? Great. That's just perfect."
Rafael frowned at him. "Shouldn't you be happy for her? Now she'll have someone to take care of her."
"She has me," Marc growled at him.
"Yeah? Is that why she's hiding out in a safe house while someone shot up her studio? Because you did such a great job of taking care of her?" Rafael took a deep breath, ignoring his panther's urges to take a swipe at Marc.
This was his mate's family. Families had issues. It was obvious how much Molly loved her brother, even if they had some problems. She'd probably be mad at him for clawing out the man's eyes.
Marc glanced at the closed door and sighed. "Damn it. It's complicated, alright?"
"Strange," Connor said, grinning at the two of them. "Usually shifter families are so simple."
Marc closed his laptop and glanced around the room as if deciding what to say. "Look, you're bodyguards. I should tell you to fuck off and stick to your jobs."
"But she's my mate. And we're shifters. You need help, so talk."
Marc nodded but didn't look happy about it. "You get the bare bones of our family from me. Anything else, you'll have to talk to Molly. It's not up to me to decide what she wants you to know. And I'm only telling you this because I can't figure out if the Family is involved in the hit or not. Dad says no, but he's been retired a while."
Connor nodded. "Sounds fair."
"Our family are wolf shifters. We've been part of the mafia pack for a while. Gave us a bit of an edge since shifters tend to avoid the more urban crime families, you know? Best damn hitmen and bounty hunters around. Nobody stayed hidden if we wanted to find them."
Rafael's eyes went to Molly's door and unease roiled in his belly. No one could track like a wolf. If they were the ones after Molly, how safe could she be?
"Dad was the best of the best so the Family made sure our pack stayed happy. When he met my mom, he started taking less jobs. They were mates." His eyes flicked toward Rafael. "She died when I was a pup. Dad wasn't the same after that."
Rafael's heart froze in his chest and for a moment he couldn't breathe. He couldn't imagine losing Molly, the very thought brought his panther close to the surface.
"Molly's mother?" Connor asked.
"Human. Dad got lonely and I think a little crazy. She left a few years after Molly was born when Dad quit the business. Still part of the Family, though. Goes to the Don's Christmas parties."
There was a hell of a lot more to that story, but Marc was right. It was up to Molly to decide how much she wanted him to know. Someday, she'd trust him enough to tell him everything. He hoped.
"And you think your Dad's history with the mafia has something to do with the hit? Or is it your undercover work?"
Even the thought of someone wanting to hurt Molly swept him with anger. He'd do anything to keep Molly safe.
Marc slammed a fist onto the counter and Rafael was glad he wasn't the only one who was pissed. "Hell. I don't know. We're still trying to trace the hit to the source but every lead we find has been a dead end. Could be someone trying to get to Dad. That studio of hers used to have ties to the Irish mob. Mick O'Toole still hangs around there. Could be someone trying to get to him."
"Molly isn't involved in either side?"
"No," Marc snapped. "Dad kept her away from all that. He didn't want either of us growing up in the Family."
Rafael raised an eyebrow at that. Seemed like Marc was pretty damn involved. At the moment, his history didn't matter unless it could help Molly. He'd ask Marc about it later. When they were in-laws.
Because Molly was his forever. The longer he knew her, the more sure he was. This messy affair would be their how-we-met story. The thought brought a smile to his face.
"I need to talk to Molly," Marc said, eyes fixed on the door to her room. "Maybe next time without her shouting at me. Not that I don't deserve it."
"What about the statement she gave to the Chief?" Connor leaned against the counter. "Wouldn't it all be there?"
Marc laughed once and shook his head at Connor. "You tell the cops what they need to hear to let you go. She may not've been raised in the Family, but she's still a Torelli. Give her a bit of credit."
Rafael grinned. For some reason, the thought of his sweet, plump little mate lying to an entire police force filled him with pride. And a healthy amount of desire.
"I should touch base with my handler. See if a couple leads have panned out." Marc slipped his laptop into a bag, glancing uncertainly between the two of them and Molly's door. It was clear he was wrestling with trusting them with her safety. Their eyes met and Rafael's panther came close to the surface, answering the unvoiced challenge. He'd die before he'd let anyone hurt Molly.
Marc looked away first, shaking his head. "I'll grab some food while I'm out. Give me an hour and I'll be back."
"She's hungry," Rafael said. "Make in thirty minutes."
Marc growled and Connor gave him a friendly slap on the back.
"We've got things covered here," the bear said, tossing the keys to Marc. "Do what you've got to do. Just call me when you're inbound. I'll pause the alarm."
The wolf shifter stood there like he wanted to say something else, but eventually just shook his head. "Got it. Thanks."