Don't Moose With Her (Bearbank Book 1) by Ariana McGregor Read Free Book Online Page B

to hear it,” Leo interrupted. He looked at Ethan, eyes narrowed. “I’m pissed at you right now. Dana is a sweet girl and you hurt her. Katie is furious and she’s been taking it out on me. By text messages. I'm not looking forward to the next time I see her. I’m not interested in your excuses. You need to get your shit together and fix this.”
    “It’s for her own good,” Ethan insisted. Why did no one understand that?
    “Bullshit,” Leo shot back. “You’re being a coward. You are scared and you’re running away. You’re so afraid of your demons that you’ll throw away something that most of us look for all our lives. If it was just about you, I wouldn’t care but you’re dragging that poor girl down with you.”
    “I’m no good for her,” Ethan bellowed back. His fists clenched at his sides. He would not punch his partner.
    “Right now? No, you aren’t,” Leo snarled at him, his lion peeking out from his eyes. Even the lion was pissed. “She deserves better but the universe gave her you. Now you have to grow a pair and at least attempt to be worthy of her. For fuck sake, man up already!”
    Ethan opened his mouth to yell back when Leo’s phone rang. Still glowering, Leo answered the call, walking away a little.
    “McKenzie,” he grunted into the phone. “Yes, boss.”
    Even Ethan’s shifter hearing couldn’t make out the other side of the conversation. Leo made sure he remained out of earshot. He could, however see the expression change on Leo’s face. His partner shot him an indecipherable glance as he listened. Ending his call, Leo walked back to the car.
    “I have somewhere to be,” Leo announced, as they got into the car. “I’ll drop you off at the station. Maybe you can call Mandy Lockhart and get her brother’s contact details.”
    “What’s going on?” Ethan could feel his hackles rising. He knew that something was happening and that he didn’t like it. He particularly hated that he was being kept in the dark. His partner wouldn't shut him out of the case because of personal issues, right? Leo was more professional than that.
    Leo shrugged. “Something came up that I need to deal with.” His expression was a blank mask, giving nothing away.
    “What came up?” Ethan insisted.
    “None of your business,” Leo said shortly, starting the car and pulling away.
    Ethan fumed silently on the trip back to the station. Now his partner was lying to him. Call it wolf’s intuition but he instinctively knew that whatever was happening was something that he should absolutely know about. His wolf snarled in his mind, still angry with him and clearly unsettled. Did anyone not hate him today? Truth be told, he sort of hated himself.
    At the station, he called the number Leo left him and spoke to Mandy, getting her stepbrother’s details. She also confirmed that her brother didn’t travel much. She could even provide an alibi for the time of one of the murders that occurred elsewhere. She had been staying with him for a couple of months, hiding from an ex-boyfriend. Still, they would need to speak to him, see if he could provide any more information on Becca and the last night she was seen alive. He was a poor suspect but he could still be a witness.
    He killed some time with paperwork, waiting for Leo to get back. Where was he and what the hell was he up to? Mark, one of the human detectives, wandered over to his desk, coffee cup in hand.
    “Ethan, I’m surprised to see you here,” Mark said. “I thought you’d be out at the latest scene.”
    “What scene?” Ethan asked, looking up from his work. What had happened?
    “Your stalker killer has been sending gifts to another victim. She called in this morning when his gift turned nasty. I thought that was your case.”
    “It is,” Ethan ground out. “Who and where?” Damn Leo. Why hadn't he been told?
    Mark sat at Leo's desk and picked up a piece of paper. “45 Livingstone Avenue. Name is… Dana Roberts.”
    Ethan felt his