“Same thing you’re doing, only for a different reason.” She pushed the elevator button again. It dinged its arrival and the doors slid open. Ronnie pushed Smitty inside as Shaw’s roar rang out from their apartment.

“Ronnie Lee Reed! Where the hell are you going?”

“Lunch with Bobby Ray. I’ll talk to you later tonight. Have a good day at work. Love you!”

Smitty watched Shaw snatch the front door open and, completely naked, charge right for the elevator, but the doors closed seconds before he reached it. His fist slamming against those doors, though, shook the suddenly small box they were riding in.

“Ronnie Lee... ?”

“You interrupted us in the middle of... well, ya know.”

“And so you torture the man?”

“Oh, like you weren’t trying to. Besides, I’d already gotten what I needed.” She grinned in sexual satisfaction. “Twice. My poor kitty, however, had been holding out and was left a little frustrated.” She rocked back on her heels. “Yeah, I left him hanging... I’ll be paying for that tonight.” And clearly she couldn’t wait.

Smitty laughed with her. “You always did play with fire.”

“I know. I know. But I can’t help it.”

The elevator doors opened and she grabbed Smitty’s hand, pulling him out of the elevator, through the bustling lobby, and out to the busy Manhattan streets. Cutting between cars, she led him to a diner across the street and two blocks down.

They walked in and the cook behind the counter called out her name.

“Hey, Matty,” she said with a smile.

“The usual, baby girl?”

“Yeah, and”—she pushed Smitty into an empty booth—“give him the same but triple it.” Ronnie Lee sat down and let out a sigh. “All right. Spill it.”

Jess was on her forty thousandth yawn when Phil walked in her office.

“Hacker.”

It was such a common problem Phil didn’t even bother creating full sentences about it anymore.

“Any good?”

“A little too good. Something familiar about it.”

“Trace ’em,” she said around another yawn. “I want a name.”

“Already on it.” He moved into the room. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Because you’ve been yawning all morning.” He grinned. “Busy weekend?”

“Something like that.”

He dropped into the chair across from her. The man never really sat as much as dropped, flopped, or dived onto furniture. “Is this getting serious?”

“No... maybe... ” She sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Did you tell him about the Wilsons?”

“Yeah, he knew I was lying. I think he only pushedthat security stuff on us trying to get me to admit it.”

“So do we still have to pay for all that crap?”

Jess laughed. “You cheap bastard. Of course we have to pay for it. Besides, a little extra security couldn’t hurt right now.”

“Yeah, Sabina wants to up the ante at the den too.”

“It’s not a bad idea. I worry what she’ll do if Wilson makes a move while she’s human.”

“And that worries you for good reason,” Phil muttered under his breath. Unlike the rest of the wild dogs, Sabina was much more dangerous as human. She had this thing for knives...

“Call up Mace. See what they can do for the house.”

“Will do. And the hillbilly?”

“I don’t know, Phil. I keep telling myself not to get in deep with this guy, and then I find myself getting in deep with this guy. Wolves are notorious, ya know? Males and females. They fuck, fuck, fuck. Happily. Bouncing from bed to bed. Until one day they find the one. Their mate. I’m just a way station for this guy.”

“Sweetie, you don’t know that. You could be the one.”

“I may be goofy, but I’m not delusional.” She yawned, running her hands through her hair. “I am having a great time, though. I haven’t been this relaxed in ages.”

“Then we must hold on to him,” Phil teased. “At least for a little while.”

Jess giggled. “Yes, we must. Besides, he’s being really cool. He’s going to try and discreetly help us with this Wilson thing. And he didn’t even get mad when I punched his sister.”

The sound of chairs scraping and running feet had Jess’s head snapping up. Her three friends charged in to join Phil.

Sabina literally dived onto her desk, knocking papers and pens onto the floor. “You punched her?”

“I was startled when I saw her. I didn’t mean to.”

“Did you make her cry? Bleed? Sob softly while begging you not to hurt her anymore?”

“What is wrong with you?”

Sabina took Jess’s hand. “I just love you so much. I am so proud, my friend.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Show her. Show her how proud!”

The other three ran out of the room and Jess jumped up, yelling, “Dear God, no! Not the pom-poms!”

Ronnie bit into her grilled cheese sandwich and said around a mouthful of gooey food, “Why do you want to know about the Wilsons?”

“Can you never just answer a question?”

Ronnie Lee Reed knew something about everybody. She didn’t try to know these things, but she found out anyway. She was always a wealth of information when it came to the Smith Packs countrywide, and Smitty had used her knowledge time and time again.