Chasing The Night: Big Easy Shifters: Book Three, Knox, Abby [book series to read .TXT] 📗

“Listen, man,” Gavin said when they were out on the street. “Bobby can take care of himself. Leave it alone. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the brunch today at the mansion?”

Ash laughed. “Dude, I’ve been up all night. I showered two hours ago. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I do need to make sure Bobby’s at the brunch and also Vann. We were all supposed to sleep at my place last night and go over to the mansion together. Including you, nitwit. I can make excuses for Vann. People will excuse celebrities for just about anything. But the rest of you are making it pretty damn hard to keep me in good graces with this family.”

Gavin tried not to feel offended. “You’re like a tick on a dog’s ass today. Who has time to shower when I got people to find?”

“I can’t have you showing up to my future mother-in-law’s house for brunch smelling like sex and freshly killed woodland creatures. Let’s go back to your place so you can shower,” Ash insisted, revving the car’s engine.

Gavin shook his head and sipped his coffee as Ash drove the GTO down to Gavin’s place. “I was gonna go back to my apartment as soon as I woke up, but you had to show up acting like a hero I never asked for, trying to round us all up like a damn German shepherd. And I’ll tell you another thing. I ain’t showering until I find my girl.”

“Excuse me?”

Ash’s car screeched to a stop in the middle of an intersection. Cars honked. People yelled.

Gavin took another sip and kept his eyes straight ahead. Dogs don’t need to make eye contact when another dog is acting like a fool. “I suppose you have forgotten, Ash, how we use scents to help us locate people. Do you know anybody in the wedding party by the name of ‘C’?”

Ash snorted. “Brother, I can’t keep all of Rosemary’s friends and cousins straight. And if you think I’m going to bother her with this, you’ve got another think coming. Rosemary can sniff out messy male canine shenanigans from a mile away, and for all I know she’ll withhold wedding night sex for allowing one of the wolves to get involved in a one-night stand with one of her people.” Damn, Gavin thought. Ash was turning into a real groomzilla. What had happened to him?

“Fine, let’s go now. Maybe C will be there, but I’m guessing she’s still hungover somewhere. If she’s not there, I’ll just stay at the brunch long enough to ask Rosemary myself, then I’ll be out of your hair,” Gavin said.

“Are you for real? You’re gonna just show up at the DuChamp mansion smelling like some easy bachelor party pussy?”

This, of course, was the last straw. “Fuck you and your brunch, man.” Gavin got out of the car and slammed the door, almost forgetting to grab both coffees.

“Get back here, Gav,” Ash said.

“Fuck you, Ash.”

He turned and stomped back up the street toward his apartment.

He texted C again. If you’re at the apartment, stay there! I’m coming.

Chapter Five

Chastity, 9:30 a.m.

Where to go next?

She stood at the same unfamiliar busy intersection as she’d stood earlier, without any sense of direction except G’s scent on her. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

“Excuse me, ma’am, are you okay?” She popped open her eyes, and a woman walking seven dogs and carrying an electronic reading tablet in one hand was looking at her with concern.

She did her best to act polite, as was her upbringing, but inside she was ready to push the lady right over, because she suddenly knew exactly where to go next.

“I’m good, thank you. Excuse me!” Chastity sprinted in her heels around the corner and stood under the street signs. The scent became more powerful. She looked up at the words on the overhanging canopy. “Howlin’ G’s Tattoos & Junk.” The name of it gave her the shivers. Was this the place where they’d gotten their matching tattoos? It had to be.

Damn, but she was going to enjoy bringing home a long-haired tattoo artist to meet her mama and daddy. Provided her boy was interested in more than a one-night stand.

She paused with her hand on the door handle and thought for a second. What if she did find the guy? What then? What, was he supposed to propose marriage or something? Even if he did admit to participating in a one-night stand with her, was he under some obligation to be in a relationship?

Protection, Chas. What you need to know from him was did the two of you use protection last night? Or this morning?

Keep your head, Chas. When you find him, he might not be your Prince Charming.

Inside the tattoo shop, there were photos all over the walls of ink art, and on many of them, calligraphy letters that looked like the same style of the G on her ass right now.

On top of that, his scent was everywhere. And not just the kind of scent that lingers after someone leaves. The kind of scent that is embedded in everything. The walls, the rugs, the chairs. Could this be his? She thought back to the name. Howlin’ G’s. Oh my God. Unbelievable. This place belonged to him.

She was so close.

All she needed to do now was stay right here, and he’d show up eventually, right?

Chastity looked around in the futile hopes of finding a female tattoo artist to help her identify the work on her ass, but she already knew the answer she was seeking. Unfortunately, there did not seem to be a single employee of the female persuasion anywhere. She would have to have a talk with G about that as soon as she met him. Again. As soon as you meet him again.

Swallowing her pride and flicking her hair out of her face, She clip-clopped over to the nearest artist who looked the least busy. It was a tall guy with a Fu Manchu mustache