CHAPTER 7
Adie didn't know what to do.
The man standing in the doorframe was tall, with broad shoulders and dressed in a stylish, well-fitting suit. His hair was jet black and slicked behind his ears, and his skin was the color of a fresh latte. His features were sharp and handsome, his chocolate-brown eyes narrowed into skeptical slivers.
"You there," he said. "You're part of the help, aren't you?"
He stepped further into the room, his eyes still locked onto Adie.
"Um, yes," she said.
"Then you know that the locked rooms are strictly off-limits. What are you doing in here?"
Adie's mind scrambled for an excuse.
"Uh, the door...wasn't locked. I just came in here after I finished the bedroom on the other side of the hall. I'm so sorry."
The man turned his gaze from Adie down to the floor. He shook his head and cursed silently under his breath.
"Goddamnit, Emil," he said.
The man turned his eyes toward the papers on the desk.
"What did you see?"
"N-nothing," said Adie.
The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"Sit down."
Adie stood in place for a moment, not sure what to do with herself.
"I said, ‘sit'," said the man, pointing toward the couch against the room's back wall.
Adie, knowing she didn't have a choice in the matter, hurried over and took a seat. The man then shut the door, Adie's heart skipping a beat as he did. His back to her, the man said nothing, a silence hanging in the air for a long moment.
"I suppose this is the sort of thing that was bound to happen when we decided to be hands-off with the help."
"Huh?" asked Adie.
"What's your name," he said, turning toward Adie and taking a seat in the high-backed chair across from her.
"Adie," she said. "Adie Raine."
"And…" he said, sniffing the air. "You're a fox."
"I…I am," she said.
Adie understood that this meant if there were any doubts about whether or not the owners of this home were shifters, they were gone now.
"Well, Miss Adie Raine, you managed to stumble across some information that you weren't meant to see."
"Those…those names are for the bear gangs who've been in town recently, right?" she asked.
The man nodded.
"Indeed, they are."
"And that means you're the reason why they're here."
The man nodded.
"But I'm getting ahead of myself," he said. "My name is Julio Mendoza."
He placed his hand on his chest in a mildly theatrical manner.
"And my family is the owner of this humble estate."
"Don't know if ‘humble' is the word I'd use for it," she said.
Julio gave a wry smile.
"Perhaps my family and I did go a little overboard when we decided on square footage, but when you've been living in San Francisco penthouses for the last few decades, space begins to sound very, very nice."
Adie raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you just admitting to all of this?" she asked. "You're just admitting that you've brought in an army of biker bears into the city; why not even try to hide it?"
"Because," he said, "my family has been trying to keep a low profile here in Starwood, staying on the fringes of the town while we get…settled. But now, I believe it's time to start reaching out to the citizens of this fine city. And I think you're a perfect first choice – you're a shifter, you're already familiar with us, and you're part of the community. Why not start with the little people?"
"I don't understand what you're asking," she said.
"I'm asking you to come work for me," he said, another smile forming on his lips. "Well, work for me in a capacity that's not as the help."
Adie crinkled her eyebrows.
"And do what?"
"Be my eyes and ears in the city. You see, Miss Raine, big changes are coming to Starwood, whether you want them or not. This humble little town of yours has been a safe haven for shifters looking to live more quiet lives, away from the intrigue and drama of the cities. But the world is changing, and that's not going to last."
"What do you mean?"
"Anything other than that, I'm not at liberty to say. That is, unless you agree to work for me."
Adie considered all of this, how it was all happening so fast.
"You still haven't told me what kind of work I'd be doing."
"Well," said Julio. "I don't think I need to tell you that you're a particularly lovely young fox."
His eyes drifted up Adie's body.
"And someone like you would be a lovely companion to have for my trips into San Francisco. And when not doing this, you'd be my eyes and ears in Starwood, letting me know how people are reacting to the changes that are going to be taking place in this little town of theirs."
"You want me to be a spy?"
"That's one way to look at it," he said. "But here's another: when the clans from San Francisco begin moving in on this city, every single shifter here is going to have to take a side. And many of them are going to be taking sides that they find themselves forced into. I'm giving you the choice that many will never have."
Adie knew that she'd gotten in far, far over her head. And all it had taken was for Hoxson to have come back into her life.
"You'll be taken care of – don't you worry," said Julio. "That is, if you decide to work with me."
"And if I refuse?"
A small smirk formed on Julio's full lips.
"Then you'll be making an enemy of the clan who will soon be running this little town. Not a choice you want to make lightly, I'm sure."
Adie felt a small well of courage form in her.
"I could just tell someone what you've told me, tell the police, tell the mayor. Anyone!"
Another smirk.
"You underestimate us," he said. "You think that the city government weren't the first shifters we paid off when we moved into town? And the police? Take a look at that list you were snooping over if you want to know just who the police of this town are."
Adie didn't know what else to say. Fear and anxiety swirled in her mind.
"Think the matter over," said Julio, standing up. "Take one day – exactly one day. If you feel that this is an offer that you'd be interested in, then you know where to find me."
With that, he rose, walked over to the door, and opened it.
"Now, take the rest of the day off. And tell no one on staff about our conversation."
Adie gave a quick nod and rushed out of the room, the events of the last fifteen minutes feeling like a strange dream from which she'd just awoken.
***
"You have to take the job."
Hoxson's voice was stern as he paced slowly back and forth across his living room.
Once they'd gotten back to the apartment, Adie told him everything – the information that she'd found, the conversation with Julio, the offer; it flowed out of her as soon as they were alone.
She hated that Hoxson was the only person she could trust, that he was the only person who seemed to have her best interests in mind. And she didn't even know that for sure.
"Why, so I can be your insider with these people?"
Hoxson turned to Adie.
"That's exactly why," he said.
"But I can just run away," said Adie. "I can just leave Starwood behind and get out while I can."
"You could," said Hoxson. "If you just want to run away from everything."
Adie narrowed her eyes, incredulous that Hoxson was implying that she was some kind of coward.
"Yeah, running away is your specialty."
Hoxson ignored the comment.
"Adie, this is our town. Put aside your feelings about me for one damn second. If what this Mendoza guy said is true, then it means Starwood is about to get pulled into some kind of war between the shifters in San Francisco."
"But why Starwood?" she asked. "Why do they care about this place? It's nothing compared to San Francisco."
"That's probably exactly why," said Hoxson, taking a sip of his beer. "I've seen enough of this shit in New York to know how things go between the shifter clans. They're always looking for just how to get an edge on one another, finding what territory they can claim and use to their advantage. If they've got their eyes on a place like Starwood, then the Mendozas might be planning on using it as some kind of power base, some way to get a hold of more of the territory surrounding San Francisco. It could be just the edge they need."
"This is bullshit," said Adie. "The whole reason shifters live in a town like this is to get away from that kind of thing."
"And they care not a damn bit about what anyone wants. They want power, and that's all."
Adie shook her head, realizing that Hoxson was right, that she'd have to go along with what Julio wanted. At least, for now.
"This just all seems like so much to take," said Adie. "Like, one minute I'm working as a maid in some rich person's house, and now I'm in the middle of some kind of power struggle between shifter clans that I don't even know."
Hoxson nodded.
"And one of them is the clan that hired the Silver Talons. So, I've gotta find some way to get the recon that I'm looking for. But more than that, I'm gonna keep you safe."
Adie looked up at Hoxson, his expression grave.
"You'd better," she said.
In spite of how unsure she was about everything else, Adie felt like the one thing she could count on was Hoxson’s desire to protect her. She couldn't believe how mad she'd been at him about the marriage pact; all of that seemed so remote now.
"Then let's not waste any more time," said Hoxson.