Quinlan: Foster’s Pride – Lion Shapeshifter Romance (Foster's Pride Book 3), Kathi Barton [management books to read TXT] 📗

the way she interacted with them too. She was no holds barred with them, telling them all she was back from the worst crime scene she’d been to in a long while. It took her hugging them and being dragged to the front of the house before he was able to follow. Christ, she was beautiful.

About halfway to the house, his cat felt trouble. Moving closer, looking around, it wasn’t until Parker spoke that he understood the trouble was right in front of him rather than out in the open like he’d thought.

“Hello, Rogue. It’s been a very long time.” Rogue didn’t move. Didn’t speak either as she looked at Parker. “I’ve been trying to reach you. I wanted—”

“This is Parker? The one you were telling me about?” Rogue only nodded at her sister. “Rogue, I had no idea. I never knew what her last name was. She never mentioned it to me either.”

“Why were you trying to reach me, Parker? Did you have more things you wanted to get out of me to tell the press? Or were you going for blood this time?” Parker told her she wanted to tell her she was sorry. “Too little too late, I’m afraid.”

When Rogue turned to leave—that was all he could think she was doing—she knocked them both to the ground. When she landed on top of him, Quin knew his brother was going to be happy. Rogue was his mate. And she was spitting mad.

~*~

Pacing because she had no other outlet for her anger, Rogue kept staring at the man who was sitting in front of her. He was there to put some stitches in her leg that had opened up when she’d fallen on him. She wasn’t sure how she felt about a vet putting stitches in her, but right now, she wanted to get out of there.

“You said you have a house.” He told her he did. “And this house, does it have a back yard? One where no one will hear me if I were to scream and curse for about three days?”

“No one will hear you, no. Is this about Parker?” She growled at him, which usually worked with other people she was pissed off at. “I’m not sure if you’re doing this because you’re angry with me, but I didn’t do anything wrong in this. I was just standing—”

“Parker hurt me. Not just mentally, though that was bad enough, but she went to the newspapers and told them I was a flake. Not that wording, but I nearly lost my job and all I’d been working for until then. She nearly ruined me.” Quin told her Parker never went to the papers. “And how the hell would you know this? You weren’t around when this happened. Or are you talking to her?”

“Yes, I’m talking with her and her husband. Apparently, Parker is crying, and it’s bothering Don. Like it’s bothering me that you’re bleeding. If you’d allow me to either heal you or stitch you up, I’d feel so much better, as would my cat.” She sat down on the couch and stood up again. “I’m not sure you’re aware of this or not, but that wasn’t nearly enough time to get you sewn up.”

“I’m well aware of it. Let’s go to your house.” He stood up to follow her, and she was surprised when he said they could walk to it. “I thought you said no one would hear me if I were to scream and rant.”

“They won’t. I have a couple of deep caves I thought you might want to use. That way, I can hit you over the head with one of the stones so I can fix you up.” She stopped and stared at him. Asking him if he’d just made a joke, he looked like he was thinking on it. “I guess I was. I don’t usually go for jokes when I’m upset. And I am. So is my cat. So, shall we get going?”

“I should talk to Parker. Your family, they’re being really good to me and my family, and I need to tell her off. I won’t, just so you know, because I’m not stupid, but I should.” Quin didn’t move toward her or even order her to do what she had said. “You’re weird. I know I might have said that to you earlier, but you are weird. Not like Hi-Man weird. Because he is too, but just strange.”

“Hi-Man?” He laughed. “I didn’t know you called him that. You know Cass too, I’m to understand. What do you call him?”

She told him. “He was so uptight in college. I thought joking around with him would get the rod out of his fucking ass. I don’t like this one bit, so you know. Just because I’m willing to go to your house, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to lay down and spread out for you. Get it?” He laughed, and she didn’t know if she wanted to punch him in the balls or laugh with him. “I’ve had a really terrible few days. I can’t tell you about it—it’s my job, you see.”

“I will never tell anyone, not living or dead, what you share with me. On my honor as a brother to the king of lions.” She was impressed that he didn’t hesitate in telling her that. And for whatever reason, she believed him. “You tell me about your day, and then I’ll tell you how I had to go to a farm to kill all their animals because they were too fucking poor to come to see me before it was much too late to save them.”

“I’m sorry.” He nodded and then sat down on the ground. She joined him, but not close enough that he could touch her. Rogue didn’t know what she’d do if he were to show her some kind of emotion along with hers. “They were, for all outward appearances, a normal family. They had two lovely children and an infant.