Page 32 of Meant for Two

Anger surged through him, but he forced his body to remain in control—sort of. When his nails sharpened again, he slipped them under the plate on his lap. "Besides John, is there anyone else who might have wanted to harm you?”

“Not really, but Avery has concocted a hypothesis that is rather far-fetched," she admitted slowly. "Do you remember me telling you about how my father abused my mother?" At Zane's nod, she continued. "Years later when my mom refused his advances and denied him re-entry into her life, he murdered her."

"Shit.” Jeff clenched his fist. "Is the bastard still alive?"

"Yes, but he's in prison, so it couldn't have been him."

"I've never been in prison, but if the movies are an accurate depiction, inmates seem to have connections to those on the outside," Jeff said. "Maybe someone owed your dad a favor. Even if that were true, why would he want to hurt you?"

Zane didn’t want to ask if the father had abused his own daughter when she was growing up. The idea of it might make him shift.

Blair looked off to the side. “I have an idea why he might—at least, Avery suggested this was possible. At his last parole hearing, I once more testified against him ever getting out of prison. He might finally have realized that I wasn't going to change my mind."

Zane whistled. "You were right to do that, but maybe your dad wanted to send a warning to you. Help him out, or he'll destroy your life."

Blair shrugged. "I don't know. It seems unlikely that he would do that, but then again, I never thought my dad was capable of killing my mom either."

Zane's heart ached for Blair. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like to lose a parent in such a way. "We'll look into it," he promised her. "In the meantime, you should rest and heal."

Blair looked at them both, a mixture of gratitude and confusion in her eyes. "Why are you doing this? I mean, I appreciate it, but why me?” She looked over at Jeff. “I work for your dad, not you.”

Jeff smiled softly. "Because we care about you, Blair. And because we can't help but want to ensure your safety.”

There was more truth to that statement than met the eyes, but thankfully, Blair seemed to take Jeff’s comment in stride.

She shook her head. “That’s really sweet, but I’m good. Really. I’ll keep my eye on the rearview mirror next time I go out.”

Zane chuckled. "I know it's not funny, but what car will you be using to look into this mirror?"

Blair grunted. "I forgot. I guess I'll rent a car. I don't imagine my car can be salvaged."

Jeff shrugged. "Other than the fact the doors were badly dented—especially the one we ripped off—I bet the rest of the vehicle is in good condition."

Blair dipped her chin. "What's the saying? Besides your husband being shot, how did you enjoy the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"

Jeff held up a hand. "I get your point. Until the full extent of the damage is determined, either Zane or I will drive you to work each day."

She shook her head. "You don't have to do that. Heaven only knows you've done enough for me. I'll rent a car. Not only do I go to and from work, but I grocery shop and run errands for your dad."

It was going to be hard to convince Blair that they needed to be with her. Telling her that though would scare her to death. She probably was aware of the ménage relationships in town, but not that he and Jeff were werewolves.

Zane drank some beer and then sat back. "We need to be honest here. I'm not saying the accident was an attempt on your life, but what if it was?"

Blair lifted her chin. “I’ll deal with it."

"How?" Zane asked.

She glanced to the side, picked up another slice of pizza, and took a bite—not using a knife and fork this time. "I can ask Avery to stay with me."

"Jeff, why don't you give it a go? I’m getting nowhere,”Zane telepathed.

"I doubt she’ll listen to me, but I'll try,"he mentally transmitted.

Blair stilled. "There you go again. You two must be really close if you can look at each other and read each other's minds."

Zane stilled for a moment. "Jeff has an expressive face."

Her smile was brief but it altered something inside of Zane. He was more of the love 'em and leave 'em type, but now he realized why: he was biding his time until he met his mate.