Hester poked at the bandages on her stomach.
“Stop that,” called Antonio, startling the chief of police.
Antonio was about thirty feet away from her, relating what had happened, but apparently, he was paying more attention to what she was doing than the questions the police officer was firing at him.
Hester stuck out her tongue, and he chuckled. The grouchy leap healer had slathered her cuts in a foul smelling concoction and then wrapped her in bandages. She tried to argue and say that she would heal soon enough, but he wouldn’t hear of it. She tried growling, in an attempt to scare him off, but he was more afraid of Antonio than her and had diligently mummified her.
An ambulance had carefully made its way to the compound and carted Marta away – along with a police officer to watch her closely because she was definitely under arrest for Daniel’s murder. Mikey was safely back with his family. His little brother, Marco had given her a huge, sloppy kiss to say thank you – one that had elicited an irritated growl from Antonio. Maria was currently trying to take care of Valentina.
“How are you feeling?”
Hester looked up at the gruff voice and watched as Roberto sat down beside her.
“Not bad, all things considered.”
He nodded and watched the interplay between Antonio and the chief of police. The human was becoming increasingly red in the face, probably because Antonio was still completely nude and, well, he was a lot to take. Hester was quite enjoying running her eyes up and down his body.
Roberto had found a pair of jeans – probably a good thing. He was kind of her uncle-in-law – she didn’t need to see quite so much of him quite so close.
“Did you get the case with the land deeds?”
He nodded. His already hard expression unchanging.
“Vertigo can’t get your land, right?”
“Not without the deeds.”
Hester blew out a breath of relief, and Roberto arched his eyebrow almost quizzically for half a second.
“It sounds like they already gave Marta some money before they had them…”
The barest hint of a smile touched his lips. “Good luck to them in getting it back from her.”
Her cheetah huffed. “Bitch.”
Roberto actually chuckled, and Hester realized she had said that out loud.
“We played together as cubs,” he said musingly. “I had no idea she was so dangerous.”
“Came as a bit of a surprise to Valentina, too.” Probably more so to Daniel she silently added.
“Her mother was a bitter woman. Angry my father was chosen to be prime.”
“Hopefully that bitterness will leave with Marta, though I wouldn’t turn your back to Valentina for a while – just in case.”
The uncharacteristic chuckle returned before he became serious again. “I figure Daniel did the shooting, thought he was just trying to scare you, to get rid of you because you were going through the leap paperwork. I don’t think he was aiming to hurt you, though maybe that’s what Marta was hoping for when she gave him the gun. Daniel was quite weak, but not vicious.”
“How did Marta get it? The gun I mean.”
Roberto looked almost rueful. “She slept with the owner. Stole it from him.”
“The steakhouse owner, right?”
She had seen him talking to Antonio –tall, skinny, balding fella. Great taste in food, bad taste in women. Though, Roberto couldn’t claim his taste was any better.
Roberto must have sensed the direction of her thoughts because he looked almost sheepish. “Right. According to the chief, he didn’t tell me because he thought Marta and I were together and he was afraid I’d kill him.”
Hester smiled. “Would you have? If you were together, I mean.”
He shrugged. “Probably not. Might have suggested he seek psychiatric help.”
She giggled and then thought better of it as she pulled at one of her stomach wounds. Her skin would slowly knit together again, but it would be itchy and irritating until it was over.
“She kept trying to poison me, didn’t you question her about that?”
Roberto let out a small rumble. “Yes, but she’s a good liar.”
Probably better than he gave her credit for, and Hester could tell he was angry about it. Roberto wasn’t exactly easy to read – his default setting seemed to be stonewall – but he was angry at himself for not seeing it sooner.
“What about Daniel?”
Roberto’s expression flickered. “Not a good liar,” he admitted. “I knew he was hiding something from me. I thought it was just his relationship with Marta.”
“You knew?!” Hester had seen the two of them and had no inkling.
He rolled a shoulder. “I saw them together. Didn’t say anything because I thought it was their business. I should have. I was a fool. But I never thought Daniel would do anything like this.”
His fists curled, and Hester was quick to reassure him.
“Marta is a complete and utter bitch – this is all her fault... mostly.”
“I’m aware you think so.”
“You shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened.”
“Hmmm.” His eyes slid in her direction. “You should stay.”
“What?” Her cheetah quailed a little under the scrutinizing glare of the alpha male, but she didn’t feel scared of him. In fact, she’d go so far as to say she liked him. He was like a taciturn version of Antonio, and yeah, she couldn’t help liking him.
“You should stay. You’re good for Antonio and good for the leap.” Hester opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off. “We are old-fashioned, and it’s time that changed.” His gaze wandered back to Antonio, who now appeared to be wrestling with his two younger brothers. “Perhaps time for a new leader and the leader needs a strong mate.” He closed his eyes as if in pain. “Something I’ve never had. Even Lana…” His voice choked.
“Antonio thinks you’re a good leader,” Hester blurted.
Roberto sniffed, and if Hester didn’t know better, she would say he was fighting back tears. But, she and her cheetah knew better.
“No, a good leader wouldn’t let his leap mates down because of his own grief. I’ve been blind to a lot of things; I shouldn’t have missed this. Shouldn’t have let Marta do this to us.”
“No harm done… except for Daniel,” she said with a wince, “and maybe Valentina, a little,” she added still slightly grudgingly. Though, when it came to Daniel, she couldn’t work herself up to tears for him. Perhaps other leap mates would, and she felt sympathy for them, but he had betrayed them.
Hester awkwardly patted his shoulder. Roberto blinked at her and gave her a half-nod.
“Think about what I said,” he murmured, quickly leaving before the situation became any more emotional.
Hester looked over at Antonio who gave her a wide grin, looking more like himself than he had in the past few hours.
Her cheetah purred and reminded her of everything she was thinking while about to be clawed to death by Marta.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she muttered to herself. “I remember.” Antonio started walking towards her. His big, fine body a mass of rippling muscles. “Hard to forget.”
*
Antonio held one of Hester’s hands in his. He turned it over, searching every inch of it, as if trying to memorize it. Really, he was embarrassed to look at her, and perhaps a little scared. He knew what was coming, perhaps he had known from the moment he first kidnapped her, but he never prepared himself for how much it was going to hurt. Just the idea of losing her – his Hessie – made him feel like his heart was tearing apart.
His jaguar snarled at him. Fight for her. Demand she stay. He wanted to; there was no denying that. But what right did he have to expect anything from her? He had vaguely hoped that Hester would stay here with him no matter what, that he could make her stay, even if it wasn’t what she truly wanted.
They were sitting on his mother’s porch. Hester stared into the distance, looking at the stars, uncaring to the way he played with her hand.
Antonio cleared his throat, ignoring the protesting howls of his beast. “I should take you back to Los Lobos.”
Why would she want to stay? After everything he and his leap had put her through he was amazed she was even speaking to him. Kidnapping her, shooting at her, trying to poison her, being flirted at by a surfer lion and then being attacked and nearly slashed to ribbons? What kind of a female would want to stay?
Slowly, Hester turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were golden and serene. She had a calm look on her face that was so alien to her personality that Antonio started a little. Had the leap healer dosed her? No, surely she wouldn’t sit still for that.
“The two weeks aren’t up,” she said softly.
Antonio huffed out a mirthless laugh, trying not to wince at the internal struggle he was having with his jaguar.
“I’m afraid you don’t have many of your nine lives left.”
Hester watched him for a few moments, her lips parting as he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. He had to treasure these touches, who was to say how many more he could steal from her?
Hester swallowed before quietly declaring, “This life here with you is the only one I care about.”
His jaguar froze, and Antonio let out a growl before leaping to his feet, dragging Hester with him. She yelped and called him an idiot – which was much more like her usual self.
Antonio took her head in his hands, staring down into her eyes, making sure that what she said was true. She had to spell it out for him, and then do it again. He would make her declare it over and over until he was sure of what he heard.
“You want to stay here?”
“Yes,” she giggled.
“With me?”
“Yes!”
“As my mate?”
“Yes,” she yelled, growling at him. Her patience had completely worn out. She was so hot tempered – he loved that about her and in no way deterred him from annoying her.
“You mean…” His jaguar snapped to attention, and he roared as he sensed the approach.
“Halt!” yelled a voice. “If you have any weapons drop them and put your hands over your head…”
“What the f…” howled Hester as he clutched her, snarling as men and women in black appeared out of nowhere carrying weapons. The loud whirl of a helicopter followed, the light from overhead illuminating him and Hester.
He heard the varied howls and cries of his friends and family as his leap was invaded by SWAT. His jaguar readied for a fight as he tried to hide Hester, to protect her as they advanced on him.
“Darling!”
Strangely, a woman in a pink suit scurried forward, dodging the grasping arms of the SWAT members.
“Mom!” cried Hester, her mouth gaping in surprise.
“Oh, thank goodness!” exclaimed the pink-clad woman, yanking Hester away from him.
“Mom!”
Probably not the best way to meet your mother-in-law.
*
Okay, so maybe a week ago she would have loved to see Antonio in handcuffs… actually, no, nothing had changed – she was very much enjoying seeing Antonio in handcuffs, although, probably for different reasons than a week ago. He gave her a rueful smile, and she tried not to look too amused.
Yep, her mom brought the SWAT team. Antonio’s e-mail didn’t fool her for a second, and she had been tirelessly searching for Hester since the moment she got it. Hester didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. A little of both possibly.
“I swear, mother, I’m fine,” grumbled Hester.
All the reasons she had for missing her mother had now been completely forgotten. She was just annoyed again.
“You will be once I get you home.”
“Ugh!”
Her cheetah chuffed and Hester stomped over to where Lake, head of the tactical team currently invading the leap, was standing over Antonio. Her jaguar was on his knees on the ground, hands behind his back. He wasn’t happy about it, but he wasn’t making a big deal out of it… yet.
Roberto watched on with grim patience. He wasn’t getting angry, wasn’t trying to intervene, though if any of the tactical officers tried to approach his people, he growled at them to stay away. Roberto knew that legally – what with the kidnappings – he was on shaky ground. He was waiting to see what happened. Hester imagined that if they did start trying to haul away his nephew, he might be spurred into action.
“Uncuff him,” demanded Hester.
Lake gave her a look of infinite tolerance. “Are you saying you weren’t kidnapped and brought here against your will?”
Hester pursed her lips.
“Tell the truth,” chirruped her mother.
She rolled her eyes and looked down at Antonio. He winked at her, unworried. Cocky bastard. She saw the other females she had been kidnapped with hovering near. Unlike Antonio, their males looked nervous. But the women didn’t seem to be making any moves to say anything. No, they looked quite relaxed.
“I am here of my own free will,” she said clearly.
Lake raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
Hester groaned. “I am here of my own free will!” she yelled, attracting the attention of everyone around them. “This bozo,” she gestured at Antonio, “is my mate!” Her cheetah yipped while there were varying reactions around them – some amusement, some surprise, a lot of smugness from Antonio.
“Darling!” exclaimed her mother.
“Well, he is,” she repeated a little quieter.
She flashed him a warm smile, something he returned ten-fold. The look on his face was bright and inviting and full of promise for the naughty shenanigans that would happen later. Ooh, she couldn’t wait for that!
“My goodness,” murmured her mother. “She has Stockholm syndrome! Somebody help her!”
Hester sighed and scowled at the chuckling Antonio.
“Laugh it up, buddy. Just wait until she tries to move in with us.”
“She’ll be more than welcome,” he said magnanimously. Right – he was all for inviting the relations to stay.
“Yeah, just wait until she tries to jump in the shower with you because she’s in a hurry.”
That wiped the smile off his face. “You’re joking?” he said hesitantly.
Hester beamed, flicked her hair over her shoulder and sauntered after her mother.
“You’re joking, right? Hessie? Hessie!”