Chapter 55
“You will be.” TJ’s voice contained strength and conviction.
Donovan lifted his head to meet TJ’s gaze. “How? He’s bound to come. Promised that I’d pay for what I did. Betrayal couldn’t be forgiven or forgotten, he told me more than once. He carried that mentality as bad as any mob boss.” The memory of Bagsby’s face contorted in anger flashed through Donovan’s mind. The man held power. Money. And a nasty temper. Not to mention the easy ability to make people disappear. He’d perfected it as a side job.
“Circle the wagons and wait.”
It couldn’t be that simple, could it?Just lay in wait and see what happens? Worry sent a shudder coursing through him. “Others will get in the way. I can’t let that happen.”
TJ stepped closer and bracketed Donovan’s face with his hands. He growled with purpose. “We’re shifters, Donovan. Bear shifters.Damn it. Predators. We hunt, not run. He brings the fight, we’ll finish it.”
Donovan stared into TJ’s eyes, recognizing the beast hovering just underneath the skin.
In that moment, he realized two things. First, others would fear the fiery snap of absolute anger and fury from the grizzly. Donovan didn’t and wouldn’t ever. TJ’s protective streak rang true and strong.
Secondly, he loved TJ. The feeling had been building since their first meeting. But, here, in the midst of danger and trepidation, he saw the light. TJ was a rock, a hunk, and was everything Donovan ever wanted in a man. No other could hold a candle to the reckless driver, physician, and part time surly grizzly. For Donovan, TJ was it. His heart buoyed with the understanding even as worry remained.
I’ll protect him. No matter what.
The promise from his inner bear gave Donovan hope. We both will.
“Okay. Circling the wagons, it is.”
TJ nodded a single time. “You can’t be left alone. Hell, none of us should be right now with that damn hunter still out there.”
The upmost concern in TJ’s expression, actions, and words settled Donovan enough to quell his panic. Though still nervous, he could at least think rationally.
“I guess that means we’re either cooking or ordering in?”
TJ offered up a small smile. “Good thing I like your cooking. Please tell me you have something stocked away.”
“Let’s go see.”
“We better notify Jonah.”
Donovan frowned. “I thought he was hunting.”
“Haven’t heard anything from him. That’s not unusual, but if he’d had success, we’d hear immediately.”
“If he hadn’t…” Donovan couldn’t finish the sentence. Not when TJ’s eyes clouded up. Apprehension radiated from the guy. Donovan figured his face mirrored TJ’s in that moment.
Less than an hour later, they were seated at Donovan’s small kitchen table, digging into their meatloaf with side vegetables.
“Is Donovan even your real name?” TJ asked
“It’s my middle name. Dominic Donovan Mercer.”
“What about the rest of the stuff you told me?”
“Mostly true. I went to college, finished with a bachelor’s degree. The first job I had was working for Bagsby. Talk about na?ve. It took a while for me to figure things weren’t on the up and up. By then, I was hip deep. Went to the cops, turned states’ evidence. Did what was right, but then I knew I needed to start over.” He sighed at the remembrance of those chaotic days. “My parents and I weren’t really that close, which turned out to be a good thing. What I said about them was all true. Them knowing what I am and preferring to ignore it. All correct. I touch base with them once in a blue moon, because of Bagsby’s hand reaching far, even from behind bars, and because we just don’t really get along.”
“So, you’ve been on your own for a while now?”
“Seven years. I worked at different jobs. Made the rounds of the country, trying to find somewhere to call home.” He shook his head. “And now that I’ve found it, my worst nightmare has come true.”
“We’ll take care of him,” TJ answered calmly and with confidence. “What did you study in college?”
“Psychology. Just like I told you. It didn’t do much for a straight shot career line, but it’s helped along the way.” He squirmed in his seat, antsy to get up and do something, anything to ready the house for an invasion of the worst kind.
“So, Bagsby is some sort of crime boss?”
“Not really mob, like you think. Just a guy with his sticky fingers into all kinds of things. More of a middle man with a Napoleon complex bound and determined to get respect, the attention of the big guys, and the power to throw his weight around at will.”
TJ took a drink of his soda. “And you didn’t know that ahead of time?”
“Absolutely not. It’s not like there was a sign on the club door stating that the devil ran the place.” He snorted. “I took a job as a bouncer after college. Needed rent money and the options were slim. I had the build and the temperament, or so I was told. It wasn’t hard work and had some benefits, I suppose.”
“Like getting asked out by the customers?”
Donovan smiled half-heartedly. “Yeah.” He quickly sobered. “The news story broke with a handful of missing women from the city. They started turning up dead. I recognized every one as they came into the club pretty often. Didn’t think much of it at the time. Then, one night, after closing, I’d forgotten my jacket. Went back in, just in time to see Bagsby carrying and unconscious woman out the back door and placing her into his car. I got a decent look at the woman. Wasn’t sure what that was about until a couple of days later when she was reported missing. I knew. I just knew.” He squeezed the bridge of his nose then lowered his hand. “I went to the police. They’d been trying to tie Bagsby into the crimes, but never had any evidence of him kidnapping those girls and murdering them. I wasn’t the first witness that had come forward, but, at the time, I was the only one still living.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. But I couldn’t look the other way. I figure if he caught the slightest idea that I’d seen him, he’d kill me anyway. So, I told them I’d testify. They stashed me away until after the trial, then kicked me out on my own.”
TJ cussed. “Pretty shitty way to treat people.” He cocked his head. “Why aren’t you in the witness protection program or some such thing?”
“Now why didn’t I think of that?” Donovan snorted with disdain. He knew sarcasm came through loud and clear, but couldn’t help himself. “Probably because while kidnapping is a federal crime, murder falls under the state umbrella. Bagsby isn’t on the mob profile list, so I’m just like any other witness, victim, or family member of a victim that a state crime has happened to. We aren’t protected. We’re simply informed.”
“That’s a bunch of bullshit.”
“Tell me about it.”
TJ paused for a second and wiped at his forehead. “You didn’t start out here, certainly. Where did you go?”
Donovan grinned a little. “All over. The big cities, thinking that anywhere with over a couple million people would make for a great hiding place. Stayed a while before moving on. Worked all kinds of jobs, but nothing called to me. Nothing clicked. Then, I saw the online ad here, and voila, here I am.”
“Here you are.” TJ’s voice echoed softly.