Part 30 (1/2)

”They're all about to pop.” It had been eight and a half months since the night of the full moon and I had twenty-eight pregnant werewolves sitting in the adjoining living room.

I'd left Evie to handle things at Dead End Dating and roped Mandy into cohosting the Big Event aka a group baby shower for Viola and the NUNS. Evie had been hurt at first, but I'd convinced her that I simply couldn't concentrate unless I knew I had someone competent to take care of things in my absence. That, and I'd kissed a.s.s with a gift card for Neiman Marcus.

The growling was tame compared to what might happen if they got too excited or too upset, and I couldn't afford to lose a great a.s.sistant. Mandy, on the other hand, was practically family. And a doctor. And, therefore, fully armed with a syringe full of sedatives should things get a little wild.

I topped off the display with saucers of ranch dip for the wheels and slid it toward her. ”This will keep them happy while I carve the rump roast.”

She glanced down and her harried expression softened for a few frantic heartbeats. ”Totally cute.” Her gaze s.h.i.+fted to mine.

”You're so good at this catering thing.”

Previous TopI shrugged. ”It's all about the connections. In this case, a butcher over on Third Street who sells bulk.”

She eyed me. ”How are you with flowers?”

”I can hold my own. Why do you ask?”

”It's just that I'm so busy with my schedule and Jack's never planned this sort of thing before.” She gave me a hopeful smile. ”It would be so great if you could help with the wedding plans. Jack really wants his family involved, and your mother doesn't seem to be taking a big part in things.”

The only thing my mother was ”taking” as far as Dr. Mandy was concerned was a double dose of Valium whenever the newly engaged couple showed up for the hunt.

”I mailed her invitation samples last month,” Mandy went on, ”so that she could have some time to look at them before we saw her.”

”And?”

”She sent them back with 'Doesn't Live Here Anymore' scribbled across the envelope.” A desperate light fueled her gaze. ”It would mean so much to both of us. Please.”

No. Between drumming up new business and searching for mates for my current clients (Rachel the were-Chihuahua and Esther the made vampire, to name two), I'd barely had time to organize the baby shower. A wedding? With tons of frilly tulle and sprays of pink roses and a big frosty wedding cake?

”Okay.” What can I say? I'm a sucker for desperate. ”Now go before they start gnawing off body parts.” When she gave me a startled expression, I smiled. ”Just joking.” Nor. ”But you might want to hurry. As a precaution.”

Determination gripped her expression. She nodded, hefted the platter, and headed back through the swinging doors.

”One rump roast ready to go.” Lloyd came up next to me and set a roasting pan on the counter. ”Extra rare.”

What's up with that, right?

Well, since I didn't know my spatula from my meat fork (for obvious reasons), I'd brought along Lloyd to man the barbecue pit.

Besides, it seemed only fitting that he help out since he'd had a hand-or at least a fairly important body part-in what was now happening.

Even more, Lloyd owed me. While his weekends weren't overflowing with dates, he had launched a brand-new stud service.

See, one of the NUNS was having twins (the female with the Alpha Doody fetish). Turns out that bald men are bald because of a mega dose of testosterone, and so Lloyd had not only shot a bull's-eye, he'd nailed it twice.

To make a long story short, Lloyd was booked for every lunar eclipse for the next ten years.

”Thanks.” I slid the slab of meat onto a giant white doily. ”What about the brisket?”

”Coming right up.” He headed back to the monstrous barbecue pit that puffed away on the back patio.

Remy's patio, to be exact.

Fairfield's finest had been kind enough to offer up his house for the Big Event. In addition to saving my a.s.s during the showdown with Ayala, that is.Which meant I really owed him.

Luckily, I hadn't had too much time to think about what that meant, or what he could possibly want from me, or the fact that at any given time he might decide to collect.

I'd been too busy worrying over (a) my fledgling business, (b) a pack of hormonal werewolves and-and this was the biggie- (c) an MIA bounty hunter.

That's right. MIA. As in nowhere to be found.

One minute Ty had been fighting for his life at the cabin, and the next he'd gotten an urgent phone call. Just like that, he'd hauled himself out of bed and headed back to the city with total disregard for my safety.

Okay, so maybe total was pus.h.i.+ng it a little.

The fight for my freedom and my integrity had been fini.

After Remy had shot Ayala, he'd handed her over to the authorities, along with her tape-recorded confession. She'd had an immediate date with the big D (that's daylight, not Dior) since the cops who'd taken her into custody were a secret organization of very powerful born vamps who dealt with those of our kind who compromised the anonymity and safety of the rest.

Ayala was now history. The SOVPBV (we're talking covert vampires, not ad execs) had cooked up a story, complete with real evidence, and fed it to the human authorities. My name had been cleared and I'd even managed to snag a new born vamp client.

He goes by the name Agent X (I'm so not kidding, and I've got his signature on the DED profile to prove it) and he's mucho hot.

But that was beside the point.

I'd had exactly one message from Ty during the past eight months, and it hadn't included an apology or a dinner invitation or a heartfelt thank you for the best night of his eternal existence. Rather, he'd asked me to drop by his place and pick up his mail.

I know, right?

I might be slow in paying my bills (my human client list had suffered because of my two weeks of notoriety and I was still trying to grow my rep with everyone else), but I could certainly put two and two together.

Obviously, Ty hadn't had nearly as good a time in bed as I'd first thought and he just wasn't that interested.

That, or he'd been abducted by aliens.

Hey, it could happen. While I hadn't spotted any little green men myself, I'd never seen a pregnant werewolf, either. I now had twenty-eight gathered in Remy's living room.

Beam me up, Scotty!

A loud crash punctuated the thought, followed by a howl that would have curled my hair if I hadn't used a straightening iron before leaving my apartment.

”Lil!” Mandy's voice carried from the other room just before she ducked her head inside the door, a worried expression on her face. ”Could you come out here? We've got a situation.”

”They don't like the wings?”

”The furniture. It's not comfortable enough.” Her gaze collided with mine. ”They're in labor.””Which one?”

”All of them.”