Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Vinnie had been very mysterious earlier when he’d called, asking Madisyn to come visit him at the store. Then again, he didn’t like talking over the phone. Probably because he believed the line was tapped by the human authorities that rightly suspected him of being involved in organized crime.
“I’ve driven past the place a few times,” said Bracken, standing beside her. “But I’ve never been inside.”
“As a wolf, you might not have been welcome,” she told him, eyes twinkling. “They’re not crazy about wolves.”
“You’re only telling me this now?”
Madisyn waved it away. “You’ll be fine. You have a good rep among all shifters. And they’re not biased against wolves—they like Makenna. Ingrid, the female I told you about, sometimes invites me to pride gatherings. I usually take Makenna as my guest.”
Bracken frowned. “So they’ll have you on their territory, and they class you as under their protection, but they never offered you a place in their pride?” Like she didn’t quite fit the mold for them or something? The thought annoyed him.
“They might have sensed that there was no point. I was happy with my life the way it was. And leaving the loner lifestyle behind would have also meant leaving Makenna—I never would have done that.”
She made a move toward the door but then stopped as she noticed something on the ground. Picking it up, she smiled. “Hey, I found twenty dollars. My good luck is at work again.”
Bracken sighed. “There’s no such thing as luck. There are, however, people who drop things on the floor—like money. You’ve never lost money?”
“No. That would be bad luck.”
Again, he sighed. “Forget it. Let’s just get this over with.” He grabbed her hand when she went to go inside. “I’ll go in first.”
“I don’t need a living shield here. I’m not in danger of the Olympus cats.”
Bracken’s instincts told him she was right, but he’d take no chances. Not with her. “You might trust these people, but I have no reason to, so I certainly wouldn’t trust them with your safety.”
The bell jingled as he pushed open the door and walked right into the scents of old cloth, musty paper, leather, and lacquered wood. The shop didn’t appear to specialize in a particular time period or theme. There was everything from thimbles and brooches to old chests and antique cabinets. Hell, there was even a wooden spindle. Most of the small items were set on display tables, while others were locked in cabinets. The old dolls freaked him out just a little, but he wasn’t about to admit it.
At the front counter stood a woman who was carefully wrapping a brass candlestick. She looked their way. Her face lit up when her eyes landed on Madisyn, and she held up a finger.
Sidling up to Bracken, Madisyn leaned close and said quietly, “That’s Ingrid. Vinnie leaves the running of the store to her.”
With her vintage clothes, old-fashioned updo hairstyle, and antique jewelry, the old woman looked like she’d stepped out of another century. “I take it she knows he smuggles money in the antiques,” Bracken said in a low voice.
“She knows.”
They slowly headed down the narrow aisles, shoes clicking on the hardwood floor. Among the sounds of customers chatting and cloth rustling was the ticking of the many old clocks that hung on the walls, along with oil paintings, gilded mirrors, and carved frames. The clocks weren’t in sync with each other, and Bracken knew all the incessant ticking would drive him crazy if he worked there.
Just as they neared the counter, Ingrid came dashing around the desk and crossed to Madisyn, arms open wide. “Well hello to you.”
“Ingrid, hi.” Madisyn accepted her hug, gently patting the woman’s back.
Pulling back, Ingrid cradled her face. “It’s so good to see you. Is this your man? Oh, he’s quite a dish.”
“Yes, this is Bracken.”
The woman offered him a charming smile. “Hello there, darlin’. I’m Ingrid; it’s a pleasure to meet you. Come with me. My boys are upstairs.” She led them through a door, into a narrow hallway, and over to a thin, curved staircase. Bracken could hear deep, muffled voices even from there.
When Madisyn went to follow Ingrid up the staircase, Bracken shook his head. “Me first, baby.” If there was danger up there, he’d be standing between it and his mate. She rolled her eyes but moved aside, allowing him to pass. Reaching the top of the staircase, he found himself in a small apartment.
Standing in one of the doorways, Ingrid urged him over. “You waiting for an engraved invitation or something, darlin’?”
With Madisyn close behind him and his wolf on high alert, Bracken crossed to the old woman. Three powerfully built males were scattered around a cozy living area, and all three stood as they entered the room.
The eldest locked on Madisyn instantly, and his smile was both warm and paternal. “Maddie.”