City of Sins

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Cross Center lay just on the outskirts of town, home to most of the local tigers involved in the biz of strip performances and headquarters as well. Inside the walled compound, several outlying buildings hold the animals’ living quarters as well as practice arenas and stage, but the true beauty was the main house. A sprawling white monstrosity in the middle of the arid desert, the place had the room to house a dozen full-time residents and guests from other streaks and clans around the world. It was a TV series house, all waving sheer curtains and windowless terraces with perfectly decorated rooms that looked untouched and unlived in. Bella shifted from one foot to the next, uncomfortable on every level. Even her lioness seemed strangely reticent. First guess would be the stink of tiger everywhere. The musk choked her, making her stomach roll as the creature within fought to be heard.

Run

There are many

We are not safe

Runrunrunrunrunrun.

The imperative made her knees weaken and a soft chuff of irritation escaped as Bella sought equilibrium, twisting long brown waves into an unstable knot at the nape of her neck.

“Good Morning Ms. Talos.”

Squeaking in surprise, she jumped at the voice, internally chastising her beast for letting one of THEM get the jump on them. “Sorry, wasn’t paying attention.” She faced a younger male, much the same age as their victim, with the same oddly shaded, orangey red hair. Another born tiger. They often sported the same coloring as the beasts in the wild, though there was more variation in eye color.

“I’m Gabriel. I’ve come to take you to Aleizander.” Motioning for her to follow, Bella got a lovely view of his epically tight ass in some sort of spandex as he led her out of the house into the blistering Nevada heat.

Despite the three-digit temps, the grounds were lush, full of color, and beautifully sculpted. They walked past beds of flowers of all colors and little nooks that held shaded seating and water misters for those who wanted to enjoy the sights without overheating. Behind the house they came across an Olympic size pool with massive decking and chairs for a dozen guests. On the other side of the water, hotel style cabanas lined up under red and yellow awnings that would put the strip casinos to shame. More than a few people lounged and baked under the sweltering Nevada sun and once again Bella had to swallow down the stink of tiger musk as they approached the training arena.

Breezy curtains wafted over the sparse seating area. Long benches of polished granite sat under peaked canopies made of natural wood inset with the same misters from the walk-through. They lay in a half circle around a raised stage, on it one man and a half dozen tigers. Gabriel lead her over to one of the empty ones, though more than half held other tiger shifters and a couple humans if her nose wasn’t wrong. Sitting with legs crossed, Bella ignored the glances and whispers from the other onlookers, her own beast still quiet but beginning to stir with the continual sensory overload which included the de facto king of the tigers in Las Vegas.

Aleizander Cross, barefoot and bare chested with only a pair of lounge pants on, he was the definition of eye candy. Waves of dark hair fell to his shoulders, gleaming in the dappled sunlight as did the skin that rolled and shifted with each move of his hands. Unlike most who worked with big cats, the man didn’t use a whip, instead his bond with the beast somehow kept the animals in line and moving with an unreal precision. Jumps between raised platforms and through hoops suspended from high tension lines were breathtaking as the two white lions and four white tigers danced under his tight control. At the end, the animals formed a half circle and sat up on hindquarters with paws up in a salute as Zander gave an over the top showman’s bow. Bella had to admit it was impressive, but the wild part of her deep inside blanched at being forced to do anyone’s bidding for the amusement of others.

Straightening up when she realized Zander was heading her way, she tamped down tight on her lioness, the contrary creature beginning to fight the bonds that held her energy tight and under control. The approach of another apex predator, male to boot, had the beast showing metaphysical teeth in warning despite Bella’s best efforts.

The man seemed to take it in stride as he held out a hand when close enough. “I never thought I’d see you out here, Ms. Talos.”

Gripping the outstretched palm, disparate beasts blanched but neither backed down, tiger stripes and lion gold sized one another up in a millisecond before Bella broke contact with a grin. “Not my scene, to be honest, but it was impressive.” Pulling her phone from the ass pocket of her black jeans, she thumbed the screen open. “I wish I wasn’t here on business.”

Scrolling till she got to the photo of the Nevada driver’s license Bobby had sent earlier in the a.m., Bella handed the phone to the much taller male. “They found his body late last night behind City Wilde, off Victory Drive.”

Xander lifted hazel eyes and met Bella’s stare straight on. “He’s not one of my people. I honestly don’t know him at all.” Handing her the phone back, he didn’t pause. “What happened to him?” He waved a hand languidly to show their surroundings. “It can’t be good if you’re here.”

“I’m not sure how he died just yet, but it was violent…” There was a pause before she continued. “But he was partially eaten by another tiger. And there were other shifter scents all over him. Wolf, snake, and I believe I caught a whiff of bear.”

A cop’s gaze searched his face, Bella friendly but knowing anyone could be involved at this point in the case, even the streak. If it turned out to be an internal squabble, she’d walk away, but this didn’t seem the case. Only problem right now is Bella’s odds didn’t look good, outnumbered about 30 to 1, so she needed to walk a fine line to make it out unscathed.

Surprisingly, Aleizander looked concerned. “Eaten by another tiger? You mean shifter? Not an actual tiger?”

Nodding, Bella couldn’t stop herself from looking at the animals as the other performers were leading off stage back to their enclosures. Probably because the tourist tours Cross offered daily would start after ten. “Yes, it was a shifter. Can’t mistake that. I’m not here to blame your people…”

He cut her off. “I know, but you figured I’d know if we had outsiders wandering around.” Concern drew his brows together. “I haven’t had a single visitor come through in a month, I think. At least not from our kind.”

His hazel eyes pinned the slight female. “None of your kind on the body scent wise?”

Bella shook her head. “No, but Law goes after every single unannounced lion with what amounts to a posse.” Her shoulders rose, then fell. “I’ve told a few of the pride to start nosing around about any newcomers. Something has to be going on right under our noses.”

Aleizander started back towards the main house, motioning for the younger lioness to follow. “I’m thinking perhaps you’re right. I’ll have my people start doing the same. Have you been in touch with any other clan heads?”

Bella kept in step as he led her onto the terrace where someone had laid out refreshments, a pitcher of what appeared to be lemonade and glasses. Motioning for her to sit, Zander poured and handed her a glass that already started dewing up in the oppressive heat. Taking a sip, she sighed gratefully. “I’m meeting Michael at the Luxor. Figure it might be time to talk to Ash.” A vibration under her left ass cheek had her making an apologetic frown before grabbing the offending cell. One look at the screen and she tapped the red icon before sliding it back into place. “Sorry. Duty calls.”

Making all the right noises on the way out, Bella escaped with a vow to keep him posted on anything she found with promises of the same from his direction. The beast within seemed to be as content as her host, breathing a metaphysical sigh of relief at being freed from the cadre of possible combatants.

She didn’t drive off immediately, though. Yanking the phone back out, a pair of text messages caught her eye.

What the hell is going on that you’ve got Colin asking questions?

What’s the pride’s involvement? Is there something I should know?

Before she could even close the app, the phone buzzed again, one word scrawled across the screen. LAW

Adam Lawson, king of the Las Vegas pride and the bane of Bella’s existence. Head of one of the larger security firms in town, he specialized in protection and high-tech security solutions. It meant rubbing elbows with the movers and shakers of the casino business, something that Law made sure Bella never forgot. It had been a bone of contention from the very beginning between them, his endless ribbing putting her back up and teeth on edge every time the pride met.

Her job literally comprised gathering facts and presenting them, no comments as to guilt, innocence or character. That she left to the ones that pay the bills. Bella made sure she took jobs that didn’t skate along the fine lines too much, though. After graduating from the police academy, she did her best to keep it legal, but bending a few minor rules here and there really didn’t cause her to lose sleep. Tossing the phone back onto the passenger seat with a grimace, Bella rubbed her temples with the tingle of a headache beginning. She could save herself the trouble and call him back, but why when there was no reason for his interference to begin with?

Content with that reasoning, Bella put the car in gear and headed towards the strip. This case wasn’t gonna solve itself.