The motorcycle roared to life and Renner guided it down the dirt road, around the main part of the lodge to his cabin. The journey took all of two minutes and didn’t give him time to think at all.
He unlocked the door of the studio and strode to the closet. Behind the jackets and t-shirts and jeans, there was a tiny wall safe where he kept his valuables. Inside, there was a folder with legal documents, a box containing his great grandmother’s mating ring, a stack of hundreds he’d been saving for a while, a manila envelope, and a scarf.
Renner took a deep breath and pulled the folded scarf from its place in the wall. He stroked the soft red yarn between his thumb and forefinger, and the material caught on his calluses. He brought it up to his nose. There was a time when he’d taken this scarf out every day, to hold it, scent it, remembering the girl who used to wear it. After fifteen years, it didn’t smell like her anymore. She didn’t smell like her anymore.
He remembered Bethy’s scent. It was engrained in his mind. Or maybe deeper than that even. But Bethany smelled entirely different.
Reaching into the safe, he pulled out the envelope, bringing it with him to sit on the bed. Carefully, he opened it, spilling the contents onto his sheets. The first thing he picked up was a small tangle of brown, red, and blue twine. A friendship bracelet she’d made him. He’d been choked up when she gave it to him, and angry at himself for caring too much, so he’d tossed it in the trash while she watched.
“I don’t wear bracelets, Bethy,” he’d scoffed. “Geez.”
Later that night after everyone had gone to bed, he’d dug it out of the garbage and washed it off in the kitchen sink. Part of it had landed in ketchup and stained the strands, but he didn’t care. He tucked it away in his pillow case and took it with him when he left.
He reached for a stack of pictures, sighing heavily. Lying back on the bed, he examined them. There was a time when he used to look at these daily. The one of Ryan and Bethy and him, smiling in front of the Christmas tree was one of his favorites. The Robertson’s had been his family for three years. Wonderful years.
Until he started the change.
After Renner’s mother was shot by hunters, the cats sent him to live with humans. It wasn’t uncommon for young to grow up with humans and return to their clan later. In fact, it was the way of the big cats. Young couldn’t change and needed the influence of humanity to help with understanding their dual nature. Or… that was what he was told, anyway. At the time, all that mattered was he’d lost his mother and was ripped away from his sister all in the same week.
He’d been bitter.
But the Robertson’s changed all that. Much like his cat home, there was no mister in the family. Just Mama R, Ryan, and Bethy. They’d shown him family, when he had none. Love, when he couldn’t understand it. And patience. So much patience for an angry and confused kid.
Especially Bethy.
He stared at a picture of her face. It had been taken close up. The edges were worn from all the times he’d held it. Gently, he ran his thumb over her cheek. Her smile was so big it made her cheeks look like she had ping-pong balls stuffed in them.
Damn it. He’d completely fucked this up before he even knew it. What was he going to do? He didn’t want to hurt her anymore than he already had.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. A text from Magic.
My office. Now. No bullshit.
Renner sighed, stuffing the picture in the pocket of his t-shirt. This was going to be fun. If fun was walking on a bed of embers.
***
“Explain yourself, asshole.”
As expected, Magic was in a mood. Renner didn’t blame him. This whole stunt was, in hindsight, epically stupid.
“I don’t know what happened. I did everything like I told you. You should have been able to unlock it from the computer.”
“Not that, dickhead.” His gaze went to Layna and back to Renner. Apparently, he was going for a record for name calling. “I want to know why my masseuse was in my office giving notice.”
Renner felt the blood rush from his face, and his sister’s glare was burning a hole in the side of his head.
“She’s leaving?” Renner’s words were reedy.
“No, because you’re going to fix this. I can’t find another masseuse until after January and we have to get through the holiday season.” He pointed a harsh finger at Renner. “This is on you, asschunk. What did you do to her?”
Renner narrowed his eyes. “Asschunk? What, are you just making stuff up now?”
Magic place his palms on the desk, standing, and leaning forward. His expression was chilly. “I had to change because of you,” he seethed. “You better talk.”