“Now you’re just showing off,”Wyatt grumbled. What he wouldn’t give to wipe that cocky smile off Switch’s face.
Switch looked over his shoulder. “I learned that trick when I was seventeen.”
Wyatt grabbed his beer and plopped down in a chair. He flicked a glance at the dart, which had struck the bull’s-eye on the dartboard from Switch’s blind throw. “I’m just letting you win, being that you’re the new guy and all.” He put one foot up on the footrest. “Don’t get too full of yourself. You haven’t seen Niko play. He never misses.”
Switch lifted his beer with two fingers and ambled over to the chair across from Wyatt. He sat down and shook his long brown hair away from his face. “Isn’t he blind?”
Wyatt snorted. “Blind or not, he’s the best I’ve ever seen.”
“I doubt that.”
“O ye of little faith.” Wyatt took a swig of his beer. “Say, what’s the scoop on you and Raven? Did you two ever hook up? Is that why she wants you in the house?”
Switch nearly spit out his beer. After he wiped his mouth, he set the bottle between his legs and brushed his hand down his tattered shirt with a bar logo on it. “Do you really think I’d roll up in here like some kind of home-wrecker?”
“I don’t know you from Mr. Magoo.”
Switch tilted his head to the side. “Not that I think that toothy little Vamp deserves a woman like her, but that’s not what I’m about. Raven and I are just friends, nothing more.”
“Even if they split up?”
Intriguing. Wyatt noticed how Switch’s eyebrows sank a little as if he was giving it measured thought. Wyatt had been around the block a time or two, and he gathered that Switch had once had a thing for her. Sometimes old feelings were hard to bury, especially when the other person had undergone too many life transformations. Raven was pretty in a black widow kind of way, but she was batshit crazy. Wyatt didn’t feel any attraction to her; she was the worst kind of woman for a Gravewalker to hook up with. Rule number one: neverevermarry a killer. That was his motto.
Especially now that the mansion was spook-free.
Well, all except for Niko’s buddy. Seeing him show up had taken Wyatt by surprise, but the ghost never bothered him like the others had. Never came in his room, messed with his lights, scared the bejesus out of him at three in the morning, or crawled into bed with him and threatened to stay there unless he did them a favor. Wyatt hadn’t really seen him since the blackout.
Not until last night. For a split second, he could have sworn he saw the specter floating out the door when Shep had left to pick up a new satellite phone from one of Wyatt’s contacts. Of course, Wyatt had been up all night, and hallucinations after six cans of soda were often the norm.
Switch polished off his beer and belched loudly. It was the no-holds-barred kind of burp that men only felt comfortable doing in the presence of other men. “Is this what you guys sit around doing all day?”
Wyatt yawned. “I wish. I spend most of my time in my computer lair, working on assignments.”
“What’s your job?”
“Resident computer hacker extraordinaire. I’m the intel guy—the brains in this operation.”
Switch arched a single eyebrow. “You think highly of yourself.”
“Someone’s gotta do it.” Wyatt looked Switch over. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy Wyatt imagined taking care of kids. “So, Mary Poppins, how did a biker like you get into the nanny business?”
“Been doing it since forever. I used to watch the kids in my first pack, and when I was old enough to move out, I just expanded my services. It started out as babysitting, but I mostly teach now. Age doesn’t matter. Kids need structure, especially in a large pack where the house can be chaotic. Everyone has different schedules, different jobs.” When Switch spoke, he waved his hand slowly as if he were stretching the muscles in his wrist. “When their parents are gone, it’s better if they hang out with the same person instead of getting passed around.”
“You got your hands full with Hunter. Kira’s always losing track of him. He likes to run off when he gets bored, and because he doesn’t talk, he won’t yell out where he is. We have to go find him.”
Switch stroked his lower lip, his eyes pensive. “Maybe we should give him a whistle.”
“Not a bad idea. We’ve tried keeping an eye on him, but some of us have work to do. You turn around for one second and”—Wyatt snapped his fingers—“poof, he’s gone.”
“Kids do that when they don’t have responsibilities. He’s at a good age for a few chores. Just something to make him feel good about himself, like he has a place in the house. Once we start lessons, I don’t think he’ll be pulling any disappearing acts. If he does, my wolf will find him.” Switch tapped his nose. “The benefits of being a Shifter. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
“True words, my friend. Especially with Blue. She can’t smell you, but she’s got eagle eyes.”
Switch set his empty bottle on a table next to him. “What’s her story? Did she get kicked out of her tribe or something?”
“Nobody knows, and we like it that way. You’re new, so I’ll fill you in on the unspoken rules. Once you enter Keystone, you leave your past outside the door. I’m a little more open about some things, but people here don’t like questions.” Wyatt stared at the ink on his fingers. “And don’t bother wagging your tail around Blue. She’s hot to look at. Nice breasts, long legs, and you should see what she can do with that tomahawk. But that girl’s not interested.”
“In me?”
